Lead Me Back to Normalcy
by byebye-babeh
Summary: Years have come and gone, Thor is still in Asgard & Sigyn has become a ghost without Loki. Together they forge a new alliance to go to Midgard where Thor can see Jane, and Sigyn can start anew. But getting there won't be easy with the bifrost broken. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**_Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong> In the aftermath of it all, Asgard has settled down, but within the confines of the royal palace, everything is not fine. Thor worries of Jane and fears that he will return when she is an old woman. Sigyn-Loki's wife from Norse mythology-mourns for his loss and the target of many conspiracies. To aid each other, a new alliance is made, but at the cost of new enemies. But love is worth fighting for, it is the only real thing left in either Asgard and Earth.

**A/N:** I really wanted to do this story after seeing Thor. We know Thor has his love Jane, but what of if Loki had a love? With some research, I found he did have an ever faithful wife named Sigyn! Put 'em together and you get a story!

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><p><em>'Tis Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.<em>

**Chapter One: Hallucinations**

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><p>Thor stood on the edge of the bifrost, gazing endlessly at the water. The strands of his hair moved with the current. His brows were burrowed next to each other in frustration. Why could the guard see Jane but not he? It felt unfair; it was unfair! His knuckles bled white as he wrapped his pudgy fingers around the edges. His mouth turned into a scowl, creating deep wrinkles that could rival his father's.<p>

Above him, the sky was dark. The moon shone brighter than the stars, making them look pale in comparison to its grey beauty. Everything was alit by its light; that which was not was drowning in the shadows, and such was the fate of Thor. To his right side, the moon gave him light, but the shadows evenly ate the rest of his body. He was a stark contrast to the prince of Asgard. Asgard's glimmering gold city in the background reminded him of that harsh reality.

"You still mourn for her."

The hollow, feminine voice barely registered in his ears. Like a statue, he remained still. No words could move him, not even his father's. The only thing that could stir him would be news that he would be capable of seeing Jane. That was all he was capable of thinking, she was the only thought on his mind as of late, in a way, justifiably so since she was human. Humans aged so quickly that he had no idea as to whether she was an old lady by now or still her young, blossoming self.

"Do not be so cold as to ignore me, Thor," the voice repeated. "Do not be as ignorant to believe you are the only one who mourns for a loss."

For the first time, an audile sigh came from Thor. His head was casted in her shadow as he turned to see the young, twenty-four year-old Sigyn. Her gangly form was drowned in the beige dress. The ruffles in the front from her hood concealed her small breasts. A mahogany belt was pulled over her waist, revealing how sickly small she had become. The long sleeves ate up her soft, delicate hands. The shadow casted over her face concealed her icy gray eyes. Only the bottom of her long, angled face was visible. She looked just as hollow as her voice, perhaps more so.

"He had a choice and chose not to live," Thor muttered. He quiet for a moment, watching her. As a few tears streaked into the light, he quickly covered his face in shame. "I am sorry, Sigyn. I was wrong to say that." Pulling his hand away, he reached for her hand. Her hand was as cold as the air between them. Thor squeezed gently but was not met with any response. Yet, a warm liquid rolled across his thumb and slid down his hand, down his arm.

Blood!

He immediately released his hand! The god stared at his hand, too stunned to believe what he saw. With demanding eyes he looked to Sigyn, but she had already turned her head away. The rest of her body followed the motion. "It's not what you think," she stated coolly. "I am not inflicting damage upon myself, Thor. I gave you my word that I would stop, and so I did."

"Then what is this?" he asked sternly as he stood. He stood, towering over her small 5'1" height. She was so tiny that she seemed to be able to disappear. In the eyes many, she had. It appeared the only times anyone ever saw Sigyn was when she wanted to appear. Thor could not criticize the Asgardian for her actions. Anytime she appeared in public, people would murmur and speculate about what she knew of Loki's plans.

"It is from an old wound," she answered. "The damn wound will heal partially and then begin to bleed again on its own." She curled her hands around either of her forearms. The wind blew threw her, taking with it her hood. Sigyn's snowy blonde hair blew freely behind her like a second cape. Against her fair skin, there was no contrast. Her entire form seemed to be bland as a result.

"This sounds like an exaggeration," Thor responded. He came from behind and placed his mighty arms around her body. He braced her as she leaned into his warmth. She lifted her head to him, exposing her long, giraffe-like neck. "Now tell me, where is this blood from?"

Her eyes glittered with water as she stared up to him. "The blood is from an old wound, Thor," she repeated. "I am not lying, but where from, I will not tell."

He hugged her tighter, trying to grasp what little of her there was to grasp. Slowly, ever so slowly, a smile crept onto her pale lips. She closed her eyes as Thor protected her from the berating wind. "You need not tell, Sigyn. Not today," he assured. He breathed into the top of her crown and picked up the vague, spicy, peppery scent of his brother. Perhaps it would be the last time he would ever smell his brother. "You smell like him," he commented.

"I wear his shirt beneath this haggard dress," she replied. "His scent helps me sleep."

"But not tonight," Thor interjected.

She shook her head. "No, not tonight. I miss his warmth in bed. I am cold without him there," Sigyn confessed. "My mind wonders and I consider whether or not I should have seen it coming. Often, I think I could have, I did, but choose not to see it." Thor sighed, pulling on her tighter. She took breathed a deep breath; though, it came out more as a half sob. With a few smaller breaths to keep her from crying, she rested her head on his chest. "We had not been intimate in weeks, Thor," she added softly, almost ashamed.

"You will learn to live pass this," Thor encouraged. "You will be happy again."

She went stiff in his arms. Bitterly she moved out of his embrace. "You say this because your lover is alive," she retorted. "If she were not, then you would be in the same state I am in. You will be in my state when she does die. Maybe then, you will understand my pain." She took a deep breath before licking her thin lips. "But I hope not. You deserve to see your human—"

"Her name is Jane," he reminded for what felt like the thousandth time.

"You deserve to see Jane," she corrected. "After all you went through, it is the least you deserve, the _very _least. Will you tell me of her again?"

Thor's eyes had an extra glimmer in them as she spoke Jane's name so fondly. He smirked, and then smiled as an image of his beloved crept into his mind. "Why," he asked lightly, "Do you wish to know so much about, Jane? I have told you all about her as of now."

With a guilty smile, Sigyn blushed. "Because, you speak of her like Loki spoke of me," she admitted sullenly.

Thor backed away from the young girl. His eyes narrowed upon her again. "Do not think like that, Sigyn!" He criticized. "That is a dangerous fantasy—"

"No more dangerous than your obsession with Jane," the girl countered venomously. She walked towards him, pushing him towards the ledge of the bifrost. "He is—was my husband, Thor. I had known him all my life, given him all of me, and now I am without that." The last of her words began to crumble into sobs. The tears ran faster down her face than he had ever seen and harder than his mother's.

Thor felt disgust roll through his stomach at his own lack of sympathy. Sigyn had married his brother when she was just a girl. No matter how many times his brother had strayed from her, he had always come back to her. In return she would always wait for him, no matter how many people would tell her that Loki would die. She was eternally faithful to him, but he would never be able to return the gesture, not again.

Thor could no fathom the concept being without his loved one ever again. While the possibility was real, he would not be able to realize the truth until that moment happened. But Sigyn, she faced the reality of a life without Loki … and without any answers as to why he had diverted from his normal self. So many secrets were still kept from her, not just from Loki but all of the royal family and elite guard.

Thor gripped her again and swept the young woman into his arms. She was light, too light to be healthy. "You need sleep," he muttered as he carried her across the bifrost to Asgard's warm city walls. "Then you will feel better, Sigyn. This I promise."

She was limp in his arms, her head resting in the nook between his breastplate and his arm. "But sleep only brings me more pain, Thor," she whispered. "I dream of Loki and wake to him gone. This is not like his other trickeries that are funny. This is awful and he knows it."

"You speak of him as if he is alive," Thor mentioned.

Sigyn was quiet. Her body was lax in Thor's arms, which was a great relief. Since Loki's suicide, all her muscles had been tense from the sorrow and ached from the tears. Now … now all she felt was relief in his arms. Through half-closed eyes, Thor's face became that of Loki. His sharp, angled face was clear as day to her. Every aspect of him was there in perfect detail. A pained smile dawned her face at his sight. "Only because it feels like it," she muttered, savoring the image of Loki. "Will you sleep beside me tonight, Thor?" she inquired weakly. "Perhaps that will help."

He looked down at the tired girl. The dark circles around her eyes had grown in the weeks he had missed her. She seemed so close to death without his brother there. A fire burned inside his chest at his brother's selfishness. He could not understand how Loki could leave Sigyn for good. Was his selfishness that great as to allow his other loved ones to suffer? "Of course," Thor answered. "Anything to help my sister-in-law."

"And will you tell me of Jane?" she added.

"Yes," he replied. "But mind you, to know her as well as I do, you'll have to meet her."

She chuckled lightly. "That can be arranged," Sigyn responded. "I will ask Loki tonight when I see him. He will know of a way to get there without the bifrost."

Thor stopped at her words, contemplating them for a moment. "There's no way to get to Earth but by the bifrost," he answered; his voice was little shaper than he would have liked. He looked down at her, but her response would not come. So exhausted, Sigyn had fallen to sleep within a matter of moments. The god was careful to walk lightly, not to stir her from her dreams. Perhaps, he wondered, there were other ways to reach Earth. If there were, then Loki would know… But would Sigyn's hallucination of his brother know?


	2. Chapter 2

**_Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Wow! I didn't think I would pump this chapter out this fast, but the support from you guys made it an ease!

Thank you to everyone who supported this! And an extra shout out Fable, Princess Sigyn, Kirixchi, and Anonny!

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><p><em>I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time.<em>

**"Chapter Two: Real Enough**

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><p>Loki stood in the bright, morning sunlight, partially dressed. He watched Asgard's people as they went about their daily business. He rolled his sleeve over his left arm, then his right. With fine, coarse hands he buttoned his royal tunic. From below, the people were stupid, ignorant, and content with living with a king that would sacrifice their safety. His lips folded into a frown. The Asgardians had never been this compliant with the enemy before, never. Where had their pride gone? No, where had their logic gone? Where?<p>

He twisted his head the slightest bit to the left as soft footsteps echoed softly into his room. Loki's eyelids fell over halfway over his eyes in sorrow. She knew so little of what was unfolding and accepted it without hesitation because she was faithful. But underneath her blissful expressions, he had been able to see her worries for him. Though he loved being able to read her, she was the easiest of anyone to read, he couldn't help but feel guilty for letting her go this long with worry without any explanation.

But the secrets were good and full of good intentions since they kept her safe from the real reality. After all, wasn't that what one did for their love? Keep them safe? Protect them from the danger? Should he fail, and he did, Loki knew that he would not live long afterwards. He would not be able to protect her from that pain, but at least, at the very least, she would live. She would still love him, unless …

"Loki," came her voice. It was so soft, yet, so hollow now.

And still, he could hear her eager yearning for him in her voice. Despite his loss, she still waited for him. Sigyn did not even care if she could only wait for him in her dreams. She was so faithful, too faithful to a kings' disgrace. Reality was harsh. Not only was Loki a disgrace to Odin but also he had been a disgrace to Laufey. Laufey had left him to die, so it only seemed natural that Odin would want him dead. Letting go of the staff was the noblest thing he could do, the best way to make his father proud.

If she only knew…

Loki knew what would unfold if she discovered his heritage. Sigyn would discover soon, and then he would never see her again. Until then he would cherish her, savor her as she did with him during the day.

He gracefully walked to her like she was the only thing in his cluttered room. Loki wrapped his arms around her as he hosted her onto his waist. Sigyn wrapped her scrawny legs around his waist. Her arms fell around his neck as she kissed him. She could taste the remnants of sweet, red wine on his lips. Her fingers tightened around his shirt as he lied her down onto the bed; the golden sheets were ruffled in the process. Loki was on top of her, bracing himself with his hands.

As their lips parted, Loki stared down at his wife. The smile that had greeted him was gone, replaced by a small frown and watery eyes. Pain wrecked her face as it did every night when they saw each other, but this was different. She was bleeding internally from the wound now; he couldn't help but feel guilty for having inflicted it. From the corners of her eyes came the tears. Unlike the other nights were he could sooth her by holding her and murmuring lover's promises and compliments into her ear, this would require more.

"Sigyn," he whispered. Loki touched his forehead to hers, his ebon' hair falling around them. He pressed his lips to her. "Please do not cry," he requested. He slowly began to kiss her boney jaw line that led up to her small ears. "We haven't much time. Let's make it good." He pressed his lips to her ear, gently sucking on the lobe.

Sigyn closed her eyes, enjoying his affection. The heat of his body rolled onto her like a roaring fire. Loki's whole body was filled with pent up energy—it had been too long for him since he had been with her like this, far too long by the passion in his movements. The lick of his tongue sent energetic spikes through her body, but she could not bring herself to want her husband, not under these conditions. "Loki," the woman said softly. He only persisted, intensifying the pressure. Using his free hand, he pushed up her beige dress to mid thigh. With his thumb, he gently stroked her soft skin. "Loki," Sigyn spoke louder. His hand only crawled higher.

"Loki, stop!" she barked. "Stop!"

This time, finally, he stopped.

Loki sighed at her persistence. This could be one of their last meetings together, and she wanted to spoil it; yet, this was the cost of keeping secrets. He lifted himself off from her and sat to the left of his wife. He noticed the graveness of her face she sat up. These meetings were killing her, tearing away at her sanity. Though he hated seeing her this way, it was better than never seeing her at all. But seeing her like this, fail, drowning in clothes that once made her beautiful, made these meetings painful.

"You do not want me anymore?" he asked, sounding cold.

"No, no!" Sigyn cried. "I want you, I truly do, but not like this. Not when I will wake up alone in the morning." Before she was able to bring her sleeve to her face, Loki was there to wipe her tears away with his fingers. "This is a cruel trick—"

"This is no trick," Loki reassured.

"Yes, it is!" Sigyn retorted. She pushed herself off the bed, careful to avoid the sorcery books on the floor. The room, though as large as Thor's and just as nicely furbished with dark, mahogany furniture like the couch in the corner and the desk next to the large, eastern window, it felt small, ever so small. "Just this evening I talked with Thor, and he thinks me ill of the mind. I too believe I am ill of the mind."

He took a deep breath and looked towards the sea. In the distance the bifrost glittered all the colors of the rainbow. The bridge was fixed here, which only served as an omen that eventually the real bifrost would be fixed in many, many years to come. "You are not ill of the mind either, Sigyn. Though this is a dream, that makes me no less real than you," he explained. She turned her back to him. "I am sorry that this is the way we have to see each other, but it is the only way."

"You could return home," she muttered. "You will be most welcomed here."

"Welcomed by who?" Loki spat. He stood erect, his body brooding with fury.

"By me!" she shouted back. Sigyn spun around, bearing her teeth at him and chopping his body into pieces with her eyes. "Do I not count? Am I no longer important? What of me, Loki?" Her hands became fists as her pain became fuel for the fire. For the first time in a long time, her face was flushed with color. She looked alive, beautiful. The fact that it took anger for her to be filled with life was less than pleasing.

"You are my wife, my love, Sigyn," Loki assured tenderly. He walked towards her slowly, careful not to upset her further. Sigyn merely stood her ground like princess she was. He cupped her hands in his and snaked his fingers between hers. "But I cannot return home, not now but later."

"What? When I am old and grey?" she snapped. The woman shook her head like a toddler; it was just another quirk she had when she became enraged. "I have been faithful. I have waited months for you, Loki. But I will not wait on a hallucination that will never—"

He tightened his grip painfully around her hands. "I am not a hallucination!" Loki stated. "I am your husband!"

"Were," she corrected. "I am a widow now."

"You are not a widow!" he countered furiously. "I am alive."

She was breathing fast through her mouth. "Then if you are real, then you are being as cold as a frost giant and do not deserve to come back," Sigyn spoke curtly. Loki visibly flinched at the insult. He clenched his mouth as his whole body tightened. She could feel something in his tight grip, like something had snapped inside of him. She became wide-eyed as his grip became painful. "Loki," she breathed.

That was all it took. He let her go as he stormed across the room to the door. Loki gripped the doorframe. The fire that his father had ignited roared to life again at the sound of her disgusted tone with the word frost giant. Though he loathed them as much, what made this different is that she identified him as one of _them_. "I am not one of _them_," he breathed hatefully. Loki twisted his fury-wrinkled face towards his wife.

She was standing, lost for words. Sigyn knew not of his heritage nor anything associated with it. She had been kept in the dark for good reasons. Loki had no doubt she too would abandon him if she discovered that he was one of _them_. Their common hatred for the beasts had been what brought them together, but now… Now it appeared before the trickster that it would be the aspect to drive them apart. Again, he would become another disappointment, another failure.

His face softened because she was not responsible for her ignorance. "I must be going, Sigyn. The day has already begun here and I have much work to do," Loki spoke with a tired voice. With apologetic eyes, he looked to his wife's for forgiveness, but all that he could read was pain and betrayal. He could see the thin line of tears begin to build up again, as it did every time he left. No matter what the god did, he always left his wife in tears and pain. He could feel that heavy rock in his stomach begin to sizzle and move about, causing an ill feeling. He slowly blinked his eyes, putting off the inevitable for as long as possible. Just as he had no strength to overcome his conscious and kill brother, the same was with wife. From her depleted expression, Sigyn could see the sadness washing over his eye. Slowly she shook her in denial.

"You have been faithful to me, Sigyn, and waited for me when you should not have," he began somberly. "But, you should not wait on me now. You should not be faithful to me because I can never return to Asgard. Our life together has come to a finish. I am sorry." She was breathless and completely drained of any life left inside her fragile bones. Loki bowed his head, unable to meet her eyes. With a deep breath, he turned his body away from her and disappeared behind the door. His heavy footsteps ricocheted loudly down the hallway and clouded his thoughts. '_I did the honorable thing—I did what an _Asgardian_ would have done_,' he thought remorsefully.

As his footsteps fell out of her hearing range, the sound of another breathing became louder. As she blinked her eyes, the world was transformed. The golden walls remained the same, but the furniture was placed differently. The sun, instead of being bright on her face from the East, was dull on her back from the western window. In front of her face, just inches across the brown covers, resting was Thor, fully dressed. His eyes were straight at her, sympathetic for the tears that still ran down her face.

"It's alright," he whispered. "You're awake now."

"No it's not," she breathed, her voice barely audible. "I'm widow, and it's taken me over three years to realize it. And now I have to begin again, Thor." In her ear, coming from her chest, she heard her heart crack. But no terrible pain came plowing through her, just a gentle numbness. Sigyn felt her body give a sigh of relief. It was as if her mind at been at war with her body of the truth. Now that the stress of denial was gone, she could actually breath for the first time. Somehow, the feeling was less than satisfying.

He reached for her shoulder with his firm, stable hand. "All will be well, Sigyn," Thor promised. "Be strong and you will get through this." His eyes glimmered with hope as he ended the statement in a smile. "Though you do not possess mighty powers, you are as resilient and strong as any Asgardian warrior."

"What you say is generally true, Thor; however, I cannot start a life here in Asgard," she spoke softly. "There is too much history here. People judge me on what they think I know and on rumors they heard."

"They are just rumors," he dismissed. "Do not listen to them."

She closed her eyes, unable to fight the tiredness that was creeping through her body like a virus. "But it hurts when I hear rumors that Loki is one of those—" She stuttered for a moment, trying to get enough strength to say the word. "_Frost giants_. He is no such thing, Thor. Odin would _never_ have permitted one of them here. I would _never_ love, let alone marry one!" Sigyn took another deep breath to calm her mind. "I—I cannot live her for the rest of my life, Thor. There is too much here for me to rebuild. I want to start over fresh. I want to go to Earth."

Thor stared hard at her, half tempted to tell her the truth. It seemed strange that his brother would fail to tell his wife of such information, but the raw hatred held in her voice for the frost giants could not be ignored. It seemed she had still not forgiven the frost giantess for ripping her father's heart out of his chest. The more he pondered the idea, the more Thor began to understand that telling her would yield more consequences than victories. All he had to do was to look at how his brother changed upon finding out the truth about his heritage. Sigyn didn't need that. "Do not worry about other people. You have family here among us," he comforted. "Give yourself a year or two to recover, and if you still feel the need to start a new on Earth, then I will help you to get there. I promise."

"Can I meet Jane then, Thor?" she added. Her eyes pleaded with him.

"Yes, you will meet Jane. We will drink and laugh like old friends together," he spoke happily.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Woohoo! Three chapters in three days!

I'm loving this love from you guys! I was able to crank out three more chapters because of it! Honestly, thank you for your support! 3

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><p><em>Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.<br>_

**Chapter Three: Metaphors or Reality**

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><p>The basement of the facility was less than desirable, but during the days when neither party felt like working and wanted to escape the sun, this was the best area. Though smelling of dirty government secrets and aging files, Jane and Darcy had managed to spruce up the place. Of course, Stark had been able to secure them a few necessities such as a fridge for drinks and food, and another fridge for the alcohol. Most importantly, he had installed his own, one-of-a-kind television computer offspring on the empty wall. They pushed the shells to the walls to give themselves extra room, turned two of the long desks into beds, and managed to make working ping-pong table.<p>

Today was different. Normally Jane and Darcy were the only ones to enjoy the basement cellar, but Tony Stark had come to make an appearance and offer his help with Jane's research. Agent Coulson had come with to monitor the situation, as he did not trust the trio together. He had brought along Agent Thacher to help contain the situation. The mid 30's man was average height at 6 feet with brown and short, ebon' hair. His face was rounded with a Chinese nose. His brown eyes were like that of a venomous snake, with barely any white showing. Tied together in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie, he seemed to be an "assassin or IRS worker" as Darcy had so kindly described him.

Thacher sat erect in his chair, hands on his lap, legs bent at 90 degrees at the knees. He was a stark contrast to everyone else in the room. Jane was sprawled on her stomach on top of one of the far makeshift bed. Her jeans and tee-shirt had been traded in for a formal scientist's wardrobe. Darcy was sitting Indian style on the other one while jamming to her music. She dressed in her jeans, rocker tee-shirt, and light blue jacket with yellow stripes. Stark was in his pin stripe suit with white shirt. The man had conquered three chairs. His jacket rested of the last of his chairs. Agent Coulson was casually resting back on his chair, pushing up the front legs off the ground. Like Stark, he was focusing on the hockey game on ESPN.

"You don't like hockey, do you, Thacher?" Stark commented.

He twisted his head without the rest of his body moving a single centimeter. "No, Mr. Stark. I've never been a fan of physical sports. Now chess I thoroughly enjoy," Thacher replied in a sophisticated voice, or, as Darcy as also described, a politician's voice.

"Doesn't that go against your profession?" Darcy inquired in her loud voice. "You're suppose to go pew-pew, bam-bam, and knock 'em dead."

Thatcher smirked; though it seemed rather forced. "I am not a muscle man with no brain, Miss Darcy. I spend my free time reading through human mythology. I majored in it when I was in college."

"It was one of the reasons we brought him on the team," Coulson added. "He's our best reference to her boyfriend's world besides her. He'll be valuable for if any more of these gods come alive or if Loki decides to rear his ugly head our way."

Jane was quiet as she flipped through the Norse book, but sighed at the mention of gods. "I just hope Thor made it out of there alive," she commented. She closed the book and rolled onto her side to join in on the conversation. "It's been so long, over three years. I would have thought to have heard from Thor by now." With a heavy heart, she pushed the book away.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Phhh, Loki is the worst villain ever. We saw what Thor did to that tin man. He would have no problem kicking Loki's ass into the next plane," she joked. She raised her hands to make a few punching motions. "The guy didn't even have anything bargain Thor with. The very least he should've taken you like the typical super villain."

"That's not how Loki operates," Thacher implied. "He relies more on trickery than harming people. He is a trickster, not some murderer; though, legend has it he will be the one to unleash Ragnarok."

Stark tilted his head forward. "Unleash what?" he inquired.

"Ragnorak," Thacher explained. "It would mean the end of the world and the beginning of a new world. Myth has it that he will be the one to unleash it if Sigyn ever leaves his side."

"Who's Sigyn?" Coulson asked. "Another god I suppose."

Jane nodded. "Yes, she's another god; princess of Asgard actually. She is Loki's wife." She pushed herself into a sitting position as began to search for a page in the book. "Thor told me about her when he explained his family. But she is described as the faithful wife according to lore. She is responsible for keeping Loki out of pain while he was chained to a tree. Which is false, but what is true is that she is very faithful to Loki. Unlike what the legends say, Thor said Loki was very faithful to her. They embodied the perfect marriage."

"But according to myth, Loki was a womanizer," Thacher argued. "He had three wives—"

"Hey," Darcy interrupted. "She's gotten her information from a god. Where did you get yours? From a manuscript that has been plagiarized thousands of times. She has more credibility on her side."

"But will she become another psycho girlfriend if Loki is dead?" Stark inquired. "I don't see a spouse handling her brother-in-law killing her husband too well. Break ups are messy enough when they don't involve murder." His eyes remained fixed on television.

"Thor best not lay a hand on her though," Thacher answered. "Because if Loki lives, then he will unleash Ragnorak. Up until now, Loki has only been a trickster. If he seriously put his mind to it, he will become a major threat. I promise you, you will die Jane should that occur." His voice ended in a venomous spat that took the others by shock. He realized it a moment later. "Wow, I am sorry for that," he apologized. "I don't know what came over me." He pinched his nose as if he were suffering a bad headache.

"Working for the government is what did it," Stark sneered.

The group, with the exception of Coulson, laughed. Darcy and Jane's laugh was cut short as they noticed a shadow figure heading towards the stairs. As the figure came under the light, he turned his olive eyes towards Jane with malice intentions lurking within the pupil. The light casted dark shadows over his angled, pale face. His raven hair was pulled back to intensify his threatening appearance. His black suit matched his fierce appearance.

"Hey!" Darcy shouted. "Eavesdropping isn't nice!"

The rest of the group turned their heads in the direction, but beneath the light was just air. The lights flickered and the television went to static. "Who are you talking to, Darcy?" Stark asked. "There's no one there."

"But there was," Jane added. "I saw—"

"He looked damned pissed," Darcy interrupted. "I mean he had the invisible lasers coming out of his eyes." She motioned with her hand the lasers. She quickly turned her attention to Jane. "What the hell did you do to piss him off?"

Thacher and Coulson were up, guns drawn from their holsters. Tony had out his hand-sized personal computer. But by his grunts, even his computer was receiving interference. "Whoever it is, their fucking with my equipment," he growled.

"Who's there?" shouted Thacher. "Show yourself or you will be gunned down."

Loki was well outside the compound by the time the compound underwent a thorough sweeping of the intruder. He sat comfortably on his white HP2 Sport BMW. There was something about motorcycles that felt more natural cars. At the very least, they were much easier to maneuver around like a horse. On the plus side, the vehicle was much smoother and faster than any stallion he had ever ridden. The vehicle was more practical as well when it came to blending into human society. Loki had come to learn quickly that he could not simply teleport without one or two humans noticing. There were just so damn many, even for a town as small this.

He rolled to a stop beneath the shade of the makeshift garage. The air in the shade was much cooler, offering relief to the god. He took off his white helmet and held it underneath his arm as made his way up the rickety steps of the apartment building. His apartment was on the first floor, which was both a savor and disgust. He would blend in, but that didn't stop him from hearing his neighbor's moans at four in the morning or complaining about the limited space.

For what space he did have, Loki had only furbished very little. The gathering room, or the family room as humans called it, had a soft, earthy carpet and a bland, beige couch tucked away in the corner. A table sat in front of it with an unfinished jigsaw puzzle and a stack of completed Sudoku books. Resting beside the table was his Mac laptop in order to receive his mortal news. On the wall opposite of the couch were various papers pinned to the wall. A calendar was jammed in the middle with the have-gone days marked with a red x.

Directly the right was his small kitchen, complete with tacky wood floor and matching cabinets and appliances. A small, wooden table with a single chair was in the middle. A candle still burned in the middle, releasing a pine scent. In between the two front rooms was a small corridor. To the left it led to the bathroom, and the right to his bedroom. It was enough to get him by in this world. In reality, the humans should have been providing him with housing and meals, but their world had twisted without the gods there to watch over. Gods meant no more to them than dogs.

He placed his helmet on the table next to the door. As he walked away, the helmet transformed into his battle helm, and the rest of his clothing began to change into his armor as he sat down on the couch. Loki gazed upon the puzzle with bored eyes; there were a few pieces left to put in place but not enough to offer him any challenge. Sudoku had become boring to him, just as other human games had over the years. Though human books could be entertaining, he found himself bored with a human's average life. With a sigh, he began to rub his temples.

Loki could not yet obtain the objected he needed, not without facing the consequences of some of SHIELD's minions. Yet every day he waited, the greater the chance Jane cracked the code for quantum jumping between planes. In his own twisted way, he wished they would crack the code. For if Jane were able to see Thor, then she would tell him of his existence, and Thor would in turn tell Sigyn. Through Sigyn he might be able to return home to see her, if only for one day. Just to hold her again in his arms seemed so far away at the moment.

"Soon," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Yes, another chapter guys! Hopefully a little more uplifting than the previous chapters! I should also mention that this story will be changing its rating as it progresses and will most likely end up under "M" for mature subject material. Norse mythology can get pretty gritty as I've learned over the pass few days.

On a lighter, much happier note, thank you guys again to everyone who has reviewed, faved, or put this story underneath their alerts! I really expected this story to go flat after the first chapter, but you're support has kept it alive! As a result, I have chapter five finished, and six will be done by noon today!

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><p><em>The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.<br>_

**Chapter Four: To be happy Again**

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><p>Thor stood next to Sigyn, watching as she continued to poor over Loki's notes he had gathered over the centuries. There was no doubt that his brother had managed to rub off on the young woman. She stood erect like Loki and licked the tip of her finger before turning a page over. Even in her summer dress, she sported Loki's favorite colors of green and black; however, what caught his attention were the long sleeves. Summer was in full blossom and the heat from the dress had to unbearable. Thor's stomach churned at what could have caused her to dress in those clothes. The god felt pity for her.<p>

Sigyn had shown such progress over the pass few weeks. She had gained weight and taken up to socializing. Rumor had it that a young warrior by the name of Theoric had taken a fancy to the widow. For the first time she seemed to glow like sunlight on the snow again. But today she did not shine. She kept herself in the shadows, still unaware of Thor's presence. His eyes fell to the paper she was reading. Small drops of blood had accumulated from when she ran her finger between the lines.

"The wound again?" he inquired, motion his head to her left wrist.

Sigyn lifted her head in despair. "Yes," she answered. "The summer winds have been detrimental to it's healing. It burns as if a fire is being held next to my skin." She pushed her chair back and stood before the prince. "Aside from that I have been well, Thor. Going through Loki's notes is tedious at times and interesting at others." She strode towards him with a forced smile upon her face. "What brings you here?"

"I heard tale that you were in my brother's room and came to investigate," he answered honestly. "You have not been in here for quite some time. I feared you had had a dream of him again." Thor watched as she pulled her sleeve down farther to wipe the blood from her hand. She glanced down at her hand before noticing Thor's watchful stare.

Sigyn walked slowly to the bed. She petted the cover with the palm of her hand like it was an animal. "I have not dreamed of Loki in weeks; not until last night," she replied softly. She sighed as she sat on the bed. Thor came beside her and placed his hand upon her shoulder. "It was memory of the day of my marriage. I have been pondering it over today as I have gone through Loki's notes. I am a widow, but I feel as if I am still married. My heart still loves Loki as it always shall, but I feel conflicted about Theoric."

"Why?" Thor questioned. "He fancies you yes, but to fancy someone is no crime."

"He proclaimed he loves me after just one meeting," Sigyn confessed. "He speaks of wanting marriage and children. I do not want such things. I had my marriage with Loki, and I wanted my children with Loki. I do not even lust for this man like he does me." She ran her hand through her hair in a nervous manner. "The only time I have wanted him is when I have imagined him as Loki." Her eyes looked to Thor for aid, advise, anything he would give.

"You want out of Asgard?" he asked bluntly.

She nodded. "Yes because everywhere I turn I see Loki," the princess whispered. "I have accepted my role as widow, but it does not keep his ghosts away. They attack me whenever possible." Her voice was becoming weak as the sobs began to drain away her energy. "I just know that I am losing it, Thor. I cannot deal with Loki's loss. I cannot. I can no longer keep food down without it coming back up within the hour." She rubbed her sleeve over both her eyes to wipe away the tears. "I am dying here, Thor," she sobbed.

Thor wrapped her arm around her back and brought her onto his lap. "You are not dying, Sigyn. You are sick because someone is courting you. I know as a woman that remarrying is frowned upon here, but given your youth, you have the opportunity to be happy," he explained. Her eyes were narrow, glaring at him with frustration. "I promised you that I would help you out in a year's time. Until then, I will aid in anyway possible but leaving Asgard."

"Do you have no desire to see Jane?" Sigyn asked.

"Why would I not?" Thor asked sharply.

"Because you have not spoken of Jane in over a month. Now, you are complacent to let her wait for you," she retorted. She pushed herself onto her feet. "I talked to Heimdall, and he said you had not even checked upon Jane in nearly six weeks." Sigyn sat into her chair, licked her finger, and turned the page to read Loki's notes further. "I know you fancy Sif and she you. I have heard your moans as I have walked through the hallways at night. That is no excuse for leaving Jane to wait, Thor. She is waiting for you like I did Loki. At the very least you deserve to tell her that you have someone else."

Thor pinched his nose and told himself to breath slowly in and out. "How—" He tried to begin. "How can you think that I forget Jane, Sigyn?" His words were frank, and he sounded hurt by her accusations. "I wish nothing more than to be with Jane, but Asgard has need of me. All Father is not well and I will be stepping up to take his place soon." Thor pushed Loki's papers back and forced Sigyn to stare him in the eyes.

"That does not justify you being a womanizer, Thor," she spat.

"I have not been a womanizer!" he retorted viciously. "I have been beside you every night, Sigyn. I have not been in my room at night since the night you asked me to keep you company. I have been beside you to watch you sleep."

Sigyn was quiet. Her large eyes stared at him, terrified of his news. Like the shy girl she was, the princess looked away. "You—you have stayed be every night?" she repeated to herself. "Why would you do that? She curled her legs onto the air and placed her arms around them like she did when she felt defensive.

"Sigyn," he spoke calmly. Thor cupped the left side of her face with his hand. "I have slept beside you because it is what you asked—it is what my brother would have asked. My brother lies on the other side and is unable to care for you. So I will care for you until you may reunite with him in the afterlife, Sigyn." He gently stroked her high cheekbones, marveling at her soft skin, but it was not enough to stop her sobs. Thor easily picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

He noticed the blood still trickled from her hand. Thor slowly rolled the sleeve up her arm and followed the blood. The higher he rolled the sleeve, the heavier the blood became. At the top of her arm he saw the blue skin of a frost burn. Towards the center it became black from dead skin and red from the blood that came. The longer he stared, the more the wound looked like a partial handprint from a frost giant. "This is your wound?" he asked. "Where in the world did you get this?"

It took the goddess a moment to choke back the sobs before she could answer. "I—I—I got it the night _they_ came for Odin. They mistook my room for Odin's. In their rage, one try to grab me," she explained. "I screamed, but Loki did not come until he had slain Laufey. He—he saw it, Thor, but he did nothing. He ye—yelled a—a—at me. A—a—an—and he left me. Lo—lo—ki—" The sobs choked her again.

Thor stroked her back, trying to sooth her failing heart. Soon her curled up next to her and acted her blanket. "Loki left you, but only because he had gone mad. He loved you. You were the greatest thing to have happened to him, Sigyn. I cannot tell you how many times he said you stole his heart at first glance when you were but eight years old," Thor recalled. "I remember laughing at him since we were both eighteen and seventeen. You were but a child and he a grown man; not to mention, he had his way of getting around with the ladies of this house. I laughed when he said you were his wife—well, future wife then.

"Honestly, no one took Loki seriously; I know we and Njord believe Loki to be playing another trick. I remember watching him perform magic trick after trick for you. I had never seen my brother so enthralled before that moment. Anytime we journeyed somewhere, he would bring you back a token," Thor continued. "I had never, ever in my life seen my brother as eager as the day when you agreed to marry him. I half expected him to leave you at the altar, but he was there. He never was far from you."

"Until you took them to Laufey's realm," she breathed. "He changed after that." Sigyn rolled in his arms to her other side. She curled herself into a tighter ball, head between her legs and her arms wrapped around her chest. From beneath where she lay, her blood began to stain the covers red. She opened her mouth, but hesitated for a moment. "I—I have heard tale that Loki is one of _them_, and he did not know until he was there. Is that true?"

"I told you not to listen to the rumors," Thor insisted. "People will speak ill of Loki simply because he—"

"I did not hear this from some guard, Thor," Sigyn cried. "I heard this from All Father. I heard him yesterday morning as I pass to his room to greet him. I overheard him speaking of regrets and never telling Loki. He says that by not telling me of Loki's heritage, that under the agreement with Njord, my marriage is annulled. I am free to finally leave Asgard." Words escaped her mouth as she struggled to breath. "Is that true, Thor? Was Loki one of _them_? Was he?" she yelled through a cracking voice.

"Will it really change how you feel about my brother?" Thor asked bluntly.

Her stomach rolled over and made the noose around her heart tighten to the point of nausea. "Yes!" she screamed. Her body froze in his arms as sharp pains shot through her abdomen and to her limbs. "Because as _one of them_, he deserves no love, only death. I can learn to not love him as one of them, and I will for Earth with or without you, Thor. I cannot stomach to stay here much longer when I live in a house that does not tell me the truth. I do not fit in here."

"And what will you do?" Thor asked. "Earth is a dangerous realm. You will not be worshipped there as we once were, Sigyn." He pulled her tighter to him to show her that he was not the enemy; his was her family. Thor breathed into her crown with deep, thoughtful breaths. "I know you are in pain here," the prince whispered. "It and sadness are something that has been in your bones since you were little, so do not let it consume you." He barely felt her breath on his skin. "I will help you find a passage to Earth, but I will not leave you alone. I cannot honorably do that."

"Then I will make a compromise with Theoric," Sigyn spoke quickly. "I will marry him if only we are allow to live on Earth." Her voice, though horse and cracked, had a thin lining of strength behind each word. She slowly unfurled from her ball and out of Thor's arms. She stood on the edge of the bed, looking as if she were ready to jump off a cliff. She turned her head towards Thor, her eyes looking for his acceptance. "Will that do, Thor?"

He nodded. "Yes," he answered with neither joy nor sadness in his voice. "But first—" Thor stood up and then quickly turned around to swoop the sick princess into her arms. "Let's go the healing room. I have a feeling these ghosts you are seeing are from your wound spreading poison to your mind. Will that be okay?"

Sigyn nodded before gently placing a kiss on Thor's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

With a smile he replied, "You're welcome, Sigyn." He was careful to mind her head as she carried out of the room and down the corridor. From behind Thor could feel Sif's eyes gunning him down like he was an enemy. As he turned the corner, he caught a glimpse of her standing with arms folded across her chest, hair pulled tight into a ponytail, and a scowl upon her rounded face.


	5. Chapter 5

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Yes, I am back with another chapter today! I will also have another one ready tomorrow for you guys and possibly Saturday! After that, there won't be another chapter till Monday or Tuesday since I have to go to my college orientation and visit my college friends.

As a warning, Chapter 6 (Truth or Fiction) will be the last rated "T" chapter. Chapter 7 (A Childhood Nightmare) is rated "M." Why? I can't tell you without giving it away.

I would love to thank all my reviewers, Tea, Fable, Skirose, Alexia, AC, Kirixchi, Anonny, and Princess. I love any and all favs or alerts this story gets, but the fact that you guys have gone out of your way to write me a review is touching! So thank you guys, and of course to the people who continue to fav or put this story under their alerts!

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><p><em>The secret of having a personal life is not answering too many questions about it.<br>_

**Chapter Five: Not Without Secrets**

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><p>The days that followed, Sigyn had spent them in the healing room, receiving treatment for a wound that would have killed her if gone untreated much longer. Though he had heard her screams when they first applied the medicine, he knew in his heart this would make her better, and it had. From what his mother told him, her hallucinations were becoming less frequent the longer she received treatment. But her treatment did not come without a price. Everyone was buzzing about the widowed wife of Loki and how she too had become mad. The women, who had always been skeptical of the shy girl, unleashed their criticism without mercy. Even the healers spoke about her when outside the healing room. Why would any sane person leave a wound to fester for so long?<p>

This morning had been quiet though. No one dared to stir the pot further. As Thor walked towards his father's throne, he was surprised to see his mother standing by the window. He looked to the throne to see it empty. "All Father is busy, Thor," Frigga said. "Njord has return when he heard rumors that his daughter has been married to a frost giant. He is deeply enraged that Odin would lie to him. I do not blame him for his anger either, Thor." With her hands held conservatively together, she gazed at her son. "I fear we will be losing another in our family." Thor came closer as his mother began to shed tears. "She has always been a daughter to me," she added with a level voice. "I do not want that taken from me, but as her father, I can understand Njord's wishes to return his daughter to a stable home."

Thor came beside his mother and looked out the window to gaze down at Asgard. The Asgardians went about their daily business, unaware of the chaos brewing within the ruling family. Though Thor would never wish away his royalty, there was something pleasant that had to come from living a life where your actions did not always have dire consequences on the universe. "Njord is a good man, Mother, " Thor addressed. "I do not think he would remove her from her home unless absolutely necessary. He was the one who made Loki swear that she could never leave Asgard because she needed a sense of stability."

"But she no longer has that here, my son," she replied. "She has already confessed to me that she would rather die than spend the rest of her life here. I can tell that by the way she speaks that not only is it true, but it would be better for her." Frigga fell quiet for a moment as she further contemplated her thoughts. "I must agree that this palace has changed since Loki's death. It is very quiet here without his tricks to stir some chaos, almost hollow here.

"But I knew this would come, Thor. I always felt that at some point Loki would discover the truth of his heritage, but I assumed it would come from Odin's mouth. He should've told him when he was young like I wished," she continued, her voice full of regret and sorrow.

"Mother—"

"I knew that if Loki died in combat that Sigyn would retreat back to the shy girl she was as a child," Frigga commented. She let out a heavy sigh to ease the burden on her heart. "I knew that if she ever was injured that Loki would become furious. In his rage, he blamed you, Thor. That's why he threatened Jane." His mother licked her lips as she slowly blinked. "I only hope for Loki's sake that he is dead."

Thor looked curiously to his mother. "You believe Loki to be alive?" he asked in an astonished voice.

She some long seconds to answer his question. "If there were anyone who could find his way out of death, it would be Loki," Frigga answered. "But—" She shook her head at the idea. "If he is alive, he will come back for Sigyn. She will not receive him if he does. Sigyn has no love for him anymore. I fear him more than Laufey if that occurs. She has always been that stable force in his life, and he has been her stable force by protecting her from evil." Her eyes slid back to Thor. "Loki told her nothing, Thor. He kept her blind to what he was doing. Though many will not believe it, I can. He never wanted to expose to her the evil she experienced as a child."

Thor cleared his throat before looking at his mother. Though the wrinkles on her face were multiplying and becoming deeper, she still retained a youthful glimmer in her eyes. "What course of action do you believe should be done?" he asked.

"I believe helping her get to Earth would be best, Thor," she confessed. He stared at his mother with wide eyes. She smirked at him, hiding some deeper, more meaningful plan. "She needs to get away from here if she is to heal. There are not many people here who love her, even less now. She needs to be loved and given a place where she will not be judged. Earth may be the only place within the nine realms where she can find that."

"The problem will be to find these passages, Mother," Thor reminded. "No one was a greater master of magic than he."

"Finding them will not be a problem, my son," Frigga assured. "Njord and the Vanir are talented at magic. But so is Sigyn since she is a half breed; perhaps not nearly as talented." She turned her head as the door to the King's chambers began to creep open. In a whispered voice she murmured, "Laufey knew of these passages; it was how he was able to get to Earth when he waged war. Now that he is dead, one of his sons will have inherited the throne. They will most likely know the secret passages to Earth."

Thor and his mother could see Odin's back as he began to lead Njord out of the room. "The frost giants will kill us!" he retorted in a quiet voice. "Not to mention, Sigyn would never go there. She hates frost giants more than Loki."

Frigga had a smug smirk on her face. "Why would she hate frost giants? Her foster mother was one. The frost giantess Skadi, goddess of winter, was her mother for many years. She often accompanied Njord when he went to see the giantess. Sigyn is well received by the frost giants, Thor. Why do you think the giants let her go instead of killing her when they invaded our house?"

"Did Loki know?" Thor inquired further.

"No," his mother replied. "Njord and Skadi divorced many years before Njord found Sigyn, but he still visited Skadi in secret and only for brief moments. Skadi, after hearing about how the Vanir women treated the young Sigyn, often visited the girl to be her mother. She only stopped visiting Sigyn when she moved here to Asgard." Frigga shut her mouth as her husband and Njord fully emerged from their chambers.

Njord was a homely man. His beady black eyes were too small for his head while his nose was large and crooked. His lower lip hung open over his lower teeth, even when his mouth was closed because of his recessive chin. The god's hair was snow white with age, or at least what was left on his nearly bald scalp. Unlike an Aesir, Njord was a short, stout man with large, bulging muscles. He was also different in he wore animal pelts instead of elaborate tunics.

"What of my daughter, Njord?" Frigga inquired.

He stood straight when addressing Thor's mother. His hands were behind his back. "Sigyn will return home with me. In exchange, no ill shall be kept towards Odin's house." Njord gave a small bow to the queen. "You have been a wonderful mother, Frigga, but now she needs a father."

"I understand," she spoke somberly.

"May I come?" Thor asked, jumping into the conversation. Njord's aged eyes revered him both with respect and contempt. "I have given my word to the lady that I would aid her on her journey to becoming well. As she was my brother's wife, I—"

"Enough," he interrupted. "I tire of Aesir men and women. They have done little to do my daughter good."

"But you just said you would hold no harsh feelings between our houses!" Thor explained. He approached the old god without hesitation. He would not be bullied.

"In politics, no, I have overlooked this mess, Thor," Njord corrected in his heavy, Northern accent. "But personal relations are different. Your brother—"

"I am _not_ my brother," Thor retorted. "Judge me for me, not on his actions or the actions of others here."

Njord regarded Thor for a moment before continuing to speak in his husky voice. "Very well, Thor. I shall allow it only because Sigyn speaks fondly of you. I suggest you pack light and warmly. I will be leaving within the next hour to return home by high noon. Be warned, should you wrong my daughter, you will suffer the same fate as your brother. I do not take kindly to silver tongues. "

Thor bowed towards him. "Thank you, Njord," he answered graciously.

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><p>Sif leaned against Thor's doorframe, watching him as he packed the last of his belongings into a grey duffle bag. She had her legs crossed at the ankles and her arms folded across her chest armor. With a less than pleased expression, she watched as Thor finished strapping his fur-insulated boots to his feet. There was sharp click as he pressed the last into place on his right foot. Thor sighed as he lowered his leg from his bed and straightened himself. His eyes met Sif's for a moment before parting.<p>

He reached down, grabbing the leather strap as he hauled the bag over his left shoulder. With an extra humph, he had it secured on his shoulder. Thor looked to Sif, her dark eyes still boiling with questions and jealousy. "Say what you need to say now, Sif," he spoke calmly. "I haven't much time."

Without hesitation, she struck out with her voice being as sharp and deadly as the sword she wielded. "Why are you doing this?" Sif demanded. She outstretched her arm to block Thor's exit. He stopped in front of her, clearly not amused by his blank expression. "This is much more than sympathy for Sigyn." She gave a displeased huff. "This is about your human, isn't it?"

He did not possess Loki's silver tongue; he felt as if his were always made of lead. "Yes," Thor said frankly. "It is, Sif. Do you have any concerns about it?"

"Yes," Sif replied hastily. "What about us, Thor? What about Asgard? What about your father? Do we mean nothing to you?" The warrior glared hard at her prince, and he looked intently back at her. He need not answer her with words for her to see the love and pride he had for his family and Asgard. With a sigh she dropped her hand and moved out of the door, allowing Thor to pass through. "Don't fall for her acts, Thor," Sif commented. "Sigyn is not what she appears. She is not weak."

"I know, Sif," Thor spoke. "She has yet to find her strength, but it is there."

"I mean she's not some little girl," Sif explained. "She may look and act like it, but she has Vanir blood in her. It makes her dangerous."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Since when do you judge someone by their heritage, Sif?"

She stared at him, unable to believe his question. "Loki was a frost giant. It was only natural that at some point he would become like them," Sif retorted. "The fact that she was his wife makes me question her innocence."

"Sigyn would not have wanted the frost giants dead," Thor said neutrally.

"How do you know?" Sif asked skeptically. "She hated those things as much as Loki."

Thor took a deep breath as he closed his eyes briefly. "There are things that we do not know about Sigyn; things that even Loki did not know," he assured. "But I have been told that she thinks differently than us, Sif. It is my hunch that she only pretended many things because she resides in Asgard. She probably kept quiet because she would be criticized for her ideas." He paused, looking down the golden corridor and out the window to see Njord's party beginning to leave the palace. "Look, Sif, I need to go… But I need you to keep watch."

"For what?" she asked as she refolded her arms.

"Loki," Thor whispered.

"What!" Sif exclaimed.

"Quiet," Thor ordered. He glanced down the hallway to ensure the guards would not hear him. "Look—" The prince began, careful to keep an eye on the guards. "Mother does not think him to be dead. It would not surprise me if he came back for my father. But it is my idea that Mother wants Sigyn gone from here in case he comes back. Loki will come looking for her if he believes her to be in trouble." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Will you do this, Sif?"

She gave a tiny nod before muttering, "Yes, Thor." He kissed the top of her hand and smiled at her with his eyes. Sif did not share his optimism. No, she could feel the start of something bad broiling in the pits of her stomach—the very same feeling she had had when Loki became temporary king.


	6. Chapter 6

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** I am so, so, _so_ sorry for not posting this chapter this morning! I was in a rush to get to orientation and registration at my university! I'm officially a college girl and on my way to becoming a physicist! I'm so happy!

Also, today will the last update on this fanfiction until Tuesday, and I will update weekly on Tuesday;unless I get so far ahead in chapters and need to post 'em! Which, that scenario actually may happen. Random, but anyone who plays Warcraft will understand why I will update on Tuesday.

And oh my god, I was not expecting chapter five to have the response it did! I am totally blown away guys! Thank you _so very much!_ I may just start replying to them!

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><p><em>Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.<br>_

**Chapter Six: Truth or Fiction**

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><p>There upon the great waters of the edge of Asgard sat a small, rather pitiful looking boat—if it even counted for that. It was a simple looking rowboat with enough seats to carry six people. In the back of the boat, sitting next to Njord was Sigyn. She was tired by the way she hunched over. Her long hair was pulled back into two braids, one on either side of her face that fell to the bottom of her ribcage. Like most of her clothes, the white shirt she adorned ate her figure, even with the help of a decorative ebon' belt that was tight around her waist. The sleeves were cone in shape, becoming larger as they approached her hands; though at the top had black, ornate bandages that clung next to her skin. The rest bottom half of her shirt behaved much a like tunic. There, to his surprise, she had adorned black pants that revealed how boney her legs were. Even the matching leather boots with silver fur lining seemed ready to fall off her small feet.<p>

She lifted her head a smidgen to look his way. In the days of her absence Thor had forgotten how dark her eyes were with tiredness. Still, Sigyn gave the first genuine smile Thor had seen since before Loki's suicide. Though weak, it was an improvement. "All ready, Thor?" she inquired softly.

Three guards stood beside the boat. They were covered in heavy metal plates and animal hides. Their cloaks were reversible with a furry inside to keep them warm, while the outside consisted of silver scales that reminded Thor of some sea serpent. Various hunting knives and swords hung their hips and legs. He moved passed the three guards Njord had brought to occupy the seat in front of Sigyn. "Of course!" Thor remarked as he laid his belongings to the floor with an audible _thump_! "I fear no boat, Sigyn. I walked to the heart of Jotunheim and back, fighting my way. A little boat ride seems pleasant."

"Jotunheim is but a wasteland now because of your family," Njord condemned with raw anger in his husky voice. Thor could feel the god's eyes damning him for his actions. "The damage your brother caused is enough to ignite a war. Consider yourself and all of Asgard lucky that the Jotun have not decided to go to war, Thor." Thor braced himself as the three guards kicked the boat into the water, propelling it into the surf. With such grace, the three had managed to get into the boat without so much as single drip of water on them. "Asgard will lose if that happens."

"Enough blood has been shed, Father," Sigyn spoke through an unusual strong voice. It took Thor by surprise. Curiously Thor looked to her holding her head high; something he had not seen, even when in the presence of Loki. "I will not have war occur between those two realms. As I hail from both, I can speak good and bad of both." Her lips were pulled tightly together. She let eyes stray to the broken bifrost as they rocked closer to the edge.

"So what Mother said is true," Thor commented. He felt her eyes scan him once before returning to the fast fading images of Asgard. He lowered his head and rested his arms on the top of his thighs. He took a breath of the ocean air, smelling the mixture of the cosmos' stardust and salt water. Somehow he knew he would not smell it again for some time. "I am sorry for your losses, Sigyn." Thor twisted his neck to see a tear roll down Sigyn's face. His heart felt heavy in his chest for the young woman. "I did not realize that you cried for more than just Loki."

She took a moment to recompose and stop the sobs from reaching her mouth. "That why I will go to Jotunheim, Thor," Sigyn responded slowly, her voice losing its strength once again. "There they will understand. Helblindi will help me get to Earth to be away from all of this. In return, you will have my protection Thor and come to Earth with me."

"I need your protection?" Thor repeated. He looked around at the sky before shading his head. "That is a first, Sigyn." He grinned from the idea of a woman such as she being his protector. He was unsure if she was even fit enough to lift a sword. "Why would they kill me and not you?" the god asked.

"Because _I_ am one of _them_, Thor," she replied venomously. "Be grateful for it. It was the only reason Laufey did not strike you or Loki down years ago when you sought violence after your coronation. Though now I wonder if it was a poor mistake on his part to show either of you mercy."

"So you would have had Laufey kill my brother, your husband?" Thor questioned angrily. "You smear your name as the goddess of fidelity." His nose wrinkled at the lack of love Sigyn now displayed. It was like Sif had, Sigyn was not as innocent as she appeared.

Sigyn took a deep breath of air. She turned her eyes away from Thor's to watch the sun sparkle off the bifrost. It was so beautiful but so broken. "I cut out my tongue to be with Loki. I kept my word to be faithful to him, and I was," she spoke in a breaking voice. "But at some point, you must wonder how much your faith is worth to someone that you know can kill your people. At what point, do you say no?"

Thor had no answer for her. He wasn't sure if he ever would to that question. Just as suddenly as he was filled with her lack of love to Loki, he could feel empathy for her. Yet, with glazed eyes, he looked back and wondered if it was truly his fault for Loki's madness. Would he really have held onto the staff if Loki hadn't let go? More than likely yes because they were brothers and he loved Loki, but… With a deep breath, he righted himself so that his last moment in Asgard would be one of looking at the sunlight dancing off the city's golden buildings.

From behind Njord stood up as the boat began to teeter near the edge of the Asgard realm. With a quick flip of his hand, the boat fell over the edge. Instead of the boat tipping to a vertical position, it remained horizontal as if it were slowly gliding down. But it wasn't. Thor glanced up to see the stars above him engulfed in darkness in less than a blink of an eye. The roar of the waters was replaced with a low hum. This was nothing like the bifrost that was loud and bright. From the shadows came red eyes that glimmer like stars and damned them to the next life.

In the next blink the darkness was gone, along with the warmth of Asgard's southern winds. The chilly breath of Jotunheim greeted him with an angry hiss. He looked to the ground to see the boat was floating in a circle of water in the middle of a frozen lake. To the west he saw an open plain, but he could not tell whether it was true ground or just part of the lake covered in a heavy layer of snow. The south was the same, but to the north and east were crumbling mountains. Their peaks had been ripped and deep gorges looking like fresh wounds cut through their frozen stone. The bright illuminated every ounce of snow on its ridges, while though a beautiful sight it was ruined by the black dots that were sprinkled across it, which curiosity within Thor. His eyes came to rest at the base of the mountain where a pool of blood had frozen.

He found himself struck by the scene, unable to tell whether he was more saddened or infuriated by what Loki had unleashed. Thor bowed his head to them. He could pick up the traces of their smell on the wind. It was not foul since the bodies on Jotunheim froze too quickly to decompose, but the smell of stillness, soulless bodies was enough for his stomach to cringe.

"You need to go quickly," Njord spoke. He looked to the clear skies, able to see their sun shining overhead and with the star glimmering alone the horizons. "A bitter chill is coming tonight." He held out his hand to the guard sitting next to Thor. The guard undid his cloak and handed it to his king. Njord placed the heavy protection upon his daughter's shoulders. With careful hands, he joined the two clasps together to secure it to Sigyn. Grabbing her by her forearms, he helped her stand.

Njord's eyes softened as he looked upon his daughter. "You have grown into a fine woman since I last saw you, Sigyn," he spoke with pride in his voice. He gulped as he shed a tear for her. "Words cannot describe how full of sorrow I am, but you are strong. The Jotun would not have accepted you if you were anything but. So I have faith that you will be well again. Someday I will have to visit you on Midgard. Give my thanks to Skadi if she still lives." Sigyn could only hug her father. Njord placed his arms around her. "Now go," he whispered.

As she pulled her head away, the tears froze instantly upon her face. "Come, Thor," she said with a rehearsed tone to her voice. "Follow my footsteps." Like a gangly newborn horse she stepped over the boat's ledge and onto the water. Beneath her foot, the water turned to ice. Sigyn turned to Thor, holding out her hand. "The ice will not break," she assured.

Taking her hand, Thor stepped onto the ice. For a brief moment he heard it crackle and buckle, but just as quickly new ice formed over the cracks, restoring its strength. "What form of magic is this?" he asked as he looked to Sigyn.

She led him on for several paces before speaking, "It is no form of magic, Thor. I am a half-breed. I have traits of both my parents."

Thor stumbled over his next step, barely catching himself. In the process he caught a glance of the empty space where Njord had been. Looking forward, all he could see was Sigyn's cloak being dragged behind her like a ball-n-chain. "I knew you to be a half-breed, but I assumed you were Vanir like your foster father." Thor moved quickly to move to her side, but the waist deep snow slowed his progress greatly. Sigyn, on the other hand, walked through it with ease, as if it were just liquid water. She stopped for him to come to her side. "Where are you parents? How did you end up with Vanir?"

"You ask many questions, Thor," she complained, but there was no bite to her voice. "All you need to know is that I belong to three realms; Asgard, Jotunheim, and my father's. Where and how I came is none of your concern." She looked to him with tired eyes but looking forward towards the mountains. "It is something that I do not wish to talk about." She continued to walk; though remaining slowly enough so Thor could keep up with some effort.

"Does Loki know?" Thor asked bluntly. "Did he know _anything_ about you?"

"Some," Sigyn answered. "He knew what he needed to know. I treated him like I did my father, I only let them know the things that would not hurt them." The woman stepped onto the first rock, finding her footing to come easily. Thor, too heavy to take her hand, uneasily found his balance upon the small ledge. "It was best if Loki did not know of my heritage, Thor. He never would have loved me otherwise."

"Did you even_ try_ to tell him?" Thor berated as he followed her up the ledge.

"Asgardians cannot love anything derived from a Juton," she criticized. "Loki knew that as soon as he discovered his heritage. No matter if you did love him—I know you do—he would not have listened. Loki could not love himself. So why should anyone else?" She stepped over a rock and used it to raise herself to another ledge. "You come from a very critical society, Thor; either you are accepted in Asgard or not.

Both of you were equally loved in Asgard. Perhaps there were days when Loki felt out of place, but no more than you or I. Loki was confident, not arrogant, mischievous but not harmful—" She stopped, searching for something within the rocks. Sigyn felt around them with her bare hands. With them already numb from the cold, she did not notice the small scratches the ice made on her palms. But the pain was minute compared to the thorn stuck in her heart. "Your father loved you both equally, but he did not regard you both equally.

"All Father," she continued in a scathing, husky voice. "He meant well. He treated Loki well, but…" Sigyn sighed. She wiped her bloody palm over her right eye to keep the tears from freezing on hr face. "All Loki wanted to be was to be your equal. He never wanted the throne—I don't believe he even wanted to be king. He just wanted to have the same chance as you to be king, but because of his heritage, he would never be considered king. Loki knew from a young age he would never be king, even though he was better than you. So without that responsibility he could be mischievous. You though, you made a mockery of the throne when you knew perfectly well that you would be king. That frustrated him. Loki, despite being a trickster, always had his best interests in Asgard. He—" Her fragile voice broke off quickly, as if she were a child who had been overheard by an adult.

Their eyes turned towards the shadows that were moving across the mountain. Their feet kick up rocks that crashed down the mountain, sounding like the hooves of a thousand horses. What were few were now many as they came flooding out of their holes and into the sunlight. Their skin glittered blue, meaning only one suck creature they could be. Without hesitation, Thor's hand found his beloved hammer. "Thor, do not!" She cried. "Put the hammer back! They do not know we are their allies."

"And they don't act like it either," Thor sneered. She had her hands wrapped around his forearm, pitifully pushing his hand back down to his side. "Let go, Sigyn!" He jerked his hand back to escape her grasp. Immediately he felt thick, cold ice engulfed his hand and hammer in one fell swoop. The god turned to see his hand caught in a tower of ice. Farther behind, coming down on the snowy slopes and skis were the frost giants. They traveled fast, much faster than any horse Thor had ever ridden.

Grunting, he gathered his strength to shatter the ice that bound his hand; only then to have his left hand chained in ice. As he raised his hammer, the ice once again rose up from the ground to stop him in his tracks. Thor could hear the crackling of the ice and is wound his legs like a snake. "Sigyn, run!" he shouted. She only glanced at him with callous eyes. "Run! Heim—" She placed a hand to his mouth, freezing his mouth in place.

"You are making a mess," Sigyn hissed. She swiveled on the ice to face the giants as they approached. They jumped out of the bindings that held their feet together with their black skis; the snow and crunched beneath their feet like shattering bones. They could see the reds of the first ones as they approached. From their hands grew a crude, impaling weapon made of clear ice. Sigyn walked backwards, pressing her back to Thor's chest. "Halt!" she cried in a raspy voice. "I am Sigyn, daughter of Njord and Ska—" Her words were stolen from her the nearest frost giant raised his weapon.

"The names of your parents mean little, wife of Loki," The giant growled.

"I have citizenship here, Jotun," Sigyn snapped.

He chuckled, lowering his weapon. With a deep breath, he could smell the fear rolling off her body. "You lost your citizenship here with your marriage to Loki," he answered. Around him the other frost giants began to form a dense circle around the duo. "You are an enemy, wife of Loki. You will pay as such."

She leaned her head forward to meet his harsh gaze. "I am _not _his wife, Jotun," Sigyn corrected in an icy tone. "My marriage to him has been annulled; therefore I am no longer a citizen of Asgard. My citizenship here is then legal." Her words did little to intimidate him as he approached her with a deep scowl on his face. In her chest she felt her heart quicken as he reached out to here with his free hand. "Touch me and the wrath of Njord will be upon you, Jotun!"

The giant stopped his hand millimeters away from her chin. His red eyes stared into her soul, searching for a trace to identify her as something either enemy of friendly. Sigyn met his gaze only for a few seconds before turning her head away in shame. The giant watched her for a moment before turning the giant who had dared step inside the circle. Thor twisted his head to see this brave giant. He was bigger than the rest with runes that flexed with every twinge of his muscle. This one was younger than the rest, only Thor's age at most. His face was strong, except for his nose, which was crooked in a familiar way.

"Give me a reason to trust you, Sigyn," the young giant spoke. Thor watched with a disgusted face as the giant dare to crouch down to her eye level. He twisted his head to right, revealing a deep scar on the bottom of his jaw line. "You are a true international, girl. You are the outcome of union between an Aesir and Juton, yet, you were raised by a Vanir. You visited Skadi in secrecy because she was the one woman in your father's kingdom that did not loathe a half-breed. Yet, you threw that away to marry an Aesir—no ordinary Aesir either but a prince. It is interesting considering you are not royal, not by blood, but yet—" He inched his face closer to hers, their lips almost touching. "You are received as one."

Sigyn stopped breathing as she felt his hand skim over her belt and between her breasts. "Get to the point," she breathed. Her eyes darted to his and then the ground.

"At any moment you can be stripped of your worthiness," he whispered. "At any moment, you could no longer matter, and no one would shed a tear."

"My father—"

"Your father is old and weary," he retorted. "He will soon die and with it his protection over you. As it is already stands, Skadi's protection over you ended with your marriage to Loki, no?" He grabbed her face his hand, receiving a bitter scream from her as her skin turned blue. Thor jerked at his bindings but to no avail. He watched Sigyn squirm against the giant's grip. Blood trickled down her neck, staining her shirt. "Or else you wouldn't burn beneath my hands, Sigyn," the giant shouted. He tossed to the ground with ease. She curled into a ball as the cold seared through her flesh and into her bones. He loomed over her like a tiger about to bite into his prey. "Now call forth Heimdall and go home." He turned away from her, making his way back through the pack of frost giants.

Sigyn pushed herself up from the ground, wobbling silly on her two legs. The giant stopped and turned his face to the side so he could see her out of his left eye. Sigyn was looking towards the skies, noticing the clouds gathering on the horizon. Sigyn slowly walked towards the giant. She glanced towards Thor. Not to her surprise he struggled furiously against the ice, grunting and groaning like a wild boar. "Helblindi Laufeyson," she spoke in a heavy Vanic accent that Thor had not heard in years. For Thor, it was hard to distinguish her words.

"What is it that you need, half-breed?" The giant coated his name for Sigyn is heavy disgust.

"I seek to go to Midgard with Thor as my protector," she answered.

"For what purpose?" he inquired.

"A fresh start," Sigyn replied. "I am no longer welcomed in Asgard because of my passed husband's deeds. The living Aesir in my father's kingdom speak ill of me as well, treat me as their pet because of my blood. Clearly, by your words, I have no home here. That leaves me with Earth where I have friends." Her voice did not crack this time or sob seep through her words, but it was not genuine. It was rehearsed. Thor noticed the tips of her fingers beginning to twitch; it was an early sign before she lost it. "We are just passing through with your help."

The giant thought over her words for a moment. "Passing through? I cannot allow that. Only those of Jotunheim may know of the passage," he spoke rhetorically. "Seems innocent enough, but we all know you are not that innocent." Helblindi's eyes shifted to the horizon, watching as the storm clouds came rolling in faster. "You've seen _too_ much to ever be innocent. If you—"

He stopped midsentence as an ominous roar echoed through the mountains and rattled their bones. Terror dawned the giants' faces before they turned to run or flee on skis. Thor twisted his head to see the first waves of snow begin to trickle down the mountain. His view was quickly obstructed as the frost giants began to shove passed him in a mad frenzy. "Sigyn," he called with worry. Thor looked to where she had been, but all he saw were the blurry forms of the giants. "Sig—" The air was knocked out of him as the first wave of snow crashed into him harder than bull. His chains were broken with ease, but his strength could not save him as he tossed around like a toddler's ragdoll. Thor's gripped failed to hold onto the hammer. He couldn't see it. No, all he could see was white all around him. All he could hear was the roar of the mountain's fury. All he felt was a numb sensation fill him.

The absolute nothingness consumed him, body and soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** As promised, here is the next installment! I'm really torn between finding this chapter to by my absolute favorite and hating how the story is developing. Weird, I know. I'll be interested in seeing how chapter eight turns out since I don't even have an idea!

I'm bringing this up because so many people have brought it up in the reviews, yes, I am incorporating as many aspects of Norse mythology into the story. For some reason, no one (that I have found) has yet to address the issue that Laufey had children as well. As the frost giants were, in some sense, a major portion of the movie and a catalyst for the chaotic nature of Loki to explode. I felt that portion should also be included in this fanfiction. There is so much to explore with the idea of Jotunheim, Laufey and his family, and Asgard that it would seem crazy _not_ to.

With that said, thank you guys again for the love you have shown this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the previous ones!

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><p><em>A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.<br>_

**Chapter Seven: A Childhood Nightmare**

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><p>Thor's scream never reached her ears. There were no thoughts her head, no thumping of her heart in ears, and no idea of how fast she was running as she weaved in between the frost giants. All she knew, all she felt was the instinct to run. But running would not be enough as the snow began to nip at her angles and bite viciously into her cloak. With numb fingers, she struggled to find the clasp that bounced against her collarbone. Only by the skin of her teeth did she feel the clasp come undone. The rolling snow waves behind her wolfed down the cloak as an appetizer.<p>

With a blink of her eyes, her world changed. The crackling beneath her feet came from the twigs being snapped beneath her bare feet. She could feel the warm blood tickle her skin as it rolled down her legs. The bottoms of her feet were bleeding, being torn away, eaten away, and pushed that extra step. In truth, her feet no longer hurt. No, she was well passed the pain threshold. Sigyn could not feel any pain aside from terror, yet, she felt in control of every muscle with such clarity that she didn't so much as stumble on the thick roots that cluttered the forest floor. She trees rustled with her presence as their low branches smacked her across the face and scratched at her arms angrily. Sigyn could hear his loud, thunderous roar as he too ran.

Glancing over her shoulder, she caught a glance of the man. Tall and thickly built for power, he plowed through the forest like it was made of paper. She, on the hand, struggled to push against the branches. It seemed the forest was bending to the man's temper, sacrificing her to save its own life. Sigyn caught her breath at the sight of the whites of his eyes. Her foot faltered as a vine constricted around her ankle. She jerked madly, causing the branches to scream out in pain as they were ripped from their trunks, but no amount of force would save her from falling head first into the leaf-littered ground.

_Smack! _

Her world was icy and bloody again; everything within her sight had a red hue to it now. Every second before her became an impossible amount of time; and somehow, she couldn't believe it within her own heart, she had faced this situation before in her life. With glazed eyes, Sigyn watched was one by one the frost giants were gobbled up by the snow; disappeared from the world forever. Helblindi, he was in front of the pack, pushing others down as he too tried to out run the reaping. She could see him perfectly set against the summer woodlands of Midgard, running just as Helblindi was doing. One by one an axe was thrown in an attempt to injure or kill the frost giant. One by one he dodged them, ducking behind a tree, only to see the metal sail passed him. Damning screams ricocheted throughout the entire forest to bring forth the warriors' strength.

By her next blink, the Jotun the warriors had been chasing stopped, turned around, and looked directly at her. He stood proud in the face of death. His red eyes were swollen, sullen, and tired. Blood trickled from his left eye from a wound that had been inflicted earlier with a dagger. Now the blood mixed with tears, not just a few but many. The giant shook his narrow face in denial, curling his knuckles in the process. Blood too trickled from his right hand and dripped onto the muddy floor beneath him. He squared his shoulders as he prepared for the warriors to surround him. His narrow body was unusual and made for swift movement instead of the typical heavy footsteps of a frost giant; however, he towered over any frost giant with ease. The trees' leaves stroked his back, and their edges froze from his cold heart.

He glanced around as the warrior came within feet of him, baring their teeth as him as well as their weapons. The Jotun looked to them, but there was no sympathy on the men's faces. His arms trembled before stepped towards them and bellowed louder than any creature before him on Midgard. His breath was visible, chilling the nearest men's beards. Sigyn could feel their fear as they took steps back from the caged beast. She too felt fear. Somehow, she didn't know how, the Jotun managed to notice her actions more than those of the warriors. Immediately his expression softened. Mixed feeling fluttered through his stomach like the changing winds in a blizzard. His breaths were becoming increasingly shallow with each passing moment. The Jotun felt like a fish hung out in the summer sunlight to suffocate and wither. The crude impaling weapon that had adorned his left hand shattered to the ground in a million little pieces—the sound of his heart breaking.

In a very human fashion, he licked his lips because there was nothing else he could do. He'd be damned to fight back against the warriors, especially in front of _her_. Yet … Yet the Jotun wouldn't—couldn't be content with standing back and becoming their piñata. He didn't want the last image of her being that of the Aesir murdering what she considered a person without reason. The air escaped his lungs as he felt the ice begin to form around his closed fists. Every fiber in his being told him to back down, to turn around, and leave this place; and at least, he would live to see another day and possible long enough to see Sigyn. Realistically, that would never occur. Too much had already unfolded for him to ever see her again. From her large, deer-like eyes, he could see into her soul, see the damage he had done, see the absolute fear she held for him. All she needed now a reason and she would hate him. It would be all she would ever need to be accepted by _them_.

Blood splattered to the ground in front of Sigyn. The high screech of a head cracking against the rock was unmistakable. The limp body flopped over like a ragdoll as a result of the injury. The red eyes were already soulless as the snow rolled him like a bulldozer. They were the same soulless eyes that had stared her down as the Jotun fell to his knees; fell before his reapers. The axe had been pulled free from his chest with a sick suction sound. With it, his chest became exposed to the air. The blue innards smoked from the hot, humid air. His own personal pool of dark, almost black blood collected around him as it oozed out from the chest wound. With it, the bodies of two young Aesir lay in it as well. The insides of their bodies were strung out across the body, splattered onto the nearby trees. Sigyn could see the flutters of the heart of one of them through the hole in his chest. The heart of the Aesir abruptly stopped when the Jotun's body swayed to the left before collapsing forward. His blue face was now dyed red in his own blood, in his own mistakes. But now, his mistakes were hers.

"Father," Sigyn breathed emotionlessly.

Her frail voice stirred the other warriors as they turned to see the young two year-old hunched over and wrapping her arms around her chest as if it were going to fall apart. In many ways, it felt like that. She didn't understand, couldn't comprehend what the Jotun had done. The faces of the Aesir, of her family, were not friendly. The warriors whom she had watched with fascination and admiration directed their hunger to her. The clinging of their armor sounded like growls as they turned on their heels to her. At that moment, when they picked up their feet to head towards her, she let go of her chest and fled into the forest. The tears ran down her face.

Gently, Loki's hands brushed them away. His arm moved around her and pulled the nine year-old onto his lap. His body was considerably much larger than hers and easily wrapped around her like a protective barrier. She slid naturally against Loki, as she became a small ball. His chin rested on the top of her while she wept. Guilt wrapped around his chest like a boa, slowly squeezing the life out of him. His stomach was becoming more knotted with each sob that she cried. Her tears would leave permanent stains on his robes and a permanent scar on his memory.

"I am sorry, Sigyn," he whispered to her. "I didn't mean to make you cry." The young god took a deep breath to calm his body. He could feel Sigyn's body quiver and shake with breath. Her small fingers wrapped themselves tightly in his layered clothing. He at the very least had to be strong for her in this moment. "You need not to say anything about your past, Sigyn." He gently stroked her back with one of his hands in an attempt to ease her sobs. He could feel her muscles relax underneath his touch, but it did not relieve the guilt and pain he felt gathering, brewing inside of him for putting her through such trauma. Loki never imagined that such a simple question would bring such a painful reaction. Silently he swore never to make her cry again.

The memory of her faded like morning mist in sunlight. Loki was left fiddling with the worn bracelet in between his fingers. The forest colors against the brown fabric were faded with age and washed out from the sun's light. Still, he could admire complex runes and interweaving fabric she had created for him when she was still young and considered him a friend. His fingers rolled smoothly over the gift, recalling she had given it to him before he had dared asked her the _question_. The pain he felt _that_ day was real now inside of him. Loki could feel the faint traces of Sigyn sitting in his lap as the physical aspect of the memory began to fade. Strange that of all the memories the bracelet held, that was the first one to come to him.

Yet, perhaps not to strange once he began to ponder over the memory. After all, he had left Sigyn in the room with tears running down her face. He could feel a punch roll through his stomach at the sight of her, standing in his room, blood oozing out of the burn and rolling down her arm, and terrified beyond his comprehension. Her screams still echoed off the inside of his skull from when he had obliterated the giants into nothingness. He could feel Sigyn's hands lose their grip on his arm as she collapsed to her knees. God… Loki took a deep breath to calm himself—he didn't expect to feel his heart racing like a stallion or to feel the hair raise on the back of his neck—before the emotions of that day came flooding back to him. Still, the day didn't seem real to him, even years later.

"Sigyn," he whispered. Her name still flowed off the tip of his tongue so easily, so naturally. Everything about her was so natural to Loki. She was just, just so innocent compared to his mischievous behavior, but again, Sigyn had always been a child. Even in her actions she was innocent, sweet, and shy. Her kisses were but butterfly touches against his lips, soft and tender; however, he knew them to be playful and teasing, as she would seduce him. Sigyn just fit so well with him, like Sif and Thor did together. Especially after the sex when his wife would curl up next to him and he would hold onto her like she were his teddy bear. Her skin touching his, his fingers cupping her small breast, and his breath taking in her scent was all he ever needed to know that heaven could exist outside of death.

"See, I'm not crazy! He's right there where I told you."

The more nasally, female voice broke his daydreaming with a rather silent but painful shattering of something inside of him. Loki whipped his head around to see Jane and Darcy staring at the mirror across the way, the mirror of which held his reflection. Darcy turned around to where Loki should have been sitting on a dinky chair in the cluttered room of computers and calculations, but there was nothing but air. Darcy naturally pulled out her taser and aimed it where someone should have been. Jane, on the other hand, continued to stare at Loki with her eyes matching his. Loki was the first to blink, for some reason Jane's glower simmered down a sympathetic stare.

"Darcy, stop it," she spoke calmly. "He's crying."

Her statement unusually threw the god off. Loki brushed the palm of his hand against his high cheekbones and felt the moisture squished underneath the pressure. So wrapped up in his memories he hadn't even noticed that he had shed a tear for his wife. Loki abruptly stood up. His reflection towered over Jane—not nearly as much as his wife. Poor Sigyn, she was about a foot shorter than her husband. Jane fell about six inches shorter than he. He turned to the side, making the motion to leave.

"Don't," Jane requested. She could feel Darcy's glower upon her like daggers pressing into her back. Loki stopped mid stride to cast the physicist an unpleasant glance. From his satanic horns she knew who he was instantly; however, none of his other characteristics seemed to match those from the books. He was much younger than what artists throughout the ages had portrayed him and much less a traditional masculine than what she saw in the books. His face was longer with large, intellectual that she felt would miss nothing underneath their gaze. His jaw line was strong; though not nearly as angular as Thor's.

Darcy spitefully lowered the taser, but Loki made note that her finger still rested on the trigger. Jane saw this through the mirror. She took a deep breath, unsure of what to say as an awkward silence fell over the trio. "You're Thor's brother. Loki, right?" she asked rhetorically.

Loki visibly flinched at her statement. He could feel the stitches in his heart being ripped open again. Even on Midgard he was still overshadowed by Thor. "I am _not_ Thor's brother," he countered venomously. Darcy was taken back by the bite in his voice and raised her taser again, pointing it where the god should have stood according to the mirror.

"But you are Loki, no?" Jane inquired.

"As if I would be anyone else," Loki sneered.

"I'm gonna tase him," Darcy warned.

His eyes glowered at the dark haired woman for a moment before dismissing her threat. "Ignore her," Jane responded. "She's just a little trigger happy." His mouth was pulled into an obvious scowl at her obvious statement. "But… What are you doing here? And where is Thor?" Her voice became increasingly more hostile and worried. "And how the hell did you get in there? If you did anything to Thor—"

He raised a hand and remarkably she went quiet. Loki let out a deep sigh while he pinched his nose. Still she insisted that he was attached to his brother at the hip. He ran his hand through his hair before looking towards the mortal with a bored, annoyed gaze. "Do not address me as if I am some criminal and you the prosecution, Jane Foster. Know this, you are only talking to me right now because I am permitting you. I can at any moment be gone, and your questions will go unanswered," Loki spoke clearly and with an authoritarian flare to his words. "Is that clear, Jane Foster? Lady Darcy?"

Both women nodded. "Good," he replied. "To answer your first question, I am here because I wish to be at the present moment. My gifts are most useful here to insure that no one disturbs you and your servants while you work." He peered to the right of the room. On the various tables Jane's homemade equipment was still alit with life. "Though it seems Tony Stark escaped my protection while I was wandering through my thoughts. I'll bring him back since he has been most useful to you, no?"

"Wait," Jane interrupted. With angry eyes she stared back at him. "You've been watching me?" Her frustration at her privacy being invaded should not have been a shocker—fuck, being a member of SHEILD meant any and all secrets you had were kept in a file for people like Agent Coulson to evaluate. "How long have you been watching us?"

"Some time," Loki responded neutrally. "Not much though, a few years at most. There have been some days when I have not come to monitor your work because the monotony has become too much for me to handle."

"Why?" Darcy questioned viciously. "Planning your next biggest fiasco? Well, we won't let it happen." Loki's reflection from the mirror was gone. Darcy flicked her head around to see the god standing before her. Without hesitation her finger pulled on the trigger, but the projectile went straight the Loki projection. From her right the taser was yanked out of her hand. She jumped backwards at the sight of Loki.

His armor had melted down into black business pants and vest. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up partially over his forearm. He had a red tie was a striking contrast. Loki carelessly tossed the gun to the side as he sized himself up against Darcy. To his surprise she threw out a punch, but he quickly caught it. Using the momentum, he twisted her arm, bringing Darcy down to her knees. Loki could hear Jane squeal. He quickly let go before retreating to the cluttered room. "I am not here for malevolent reasons, ladies," he clarified. "Your work is crucial to me. I want you to succeed. The less disturbances you have, the better you work."

"So that's why I have no bars here," Darcy complained. She was holding her wrist, careful not to squeeze too tightly and cause further injury to the sprain. "Explains the interference we have had. Here Coulson wanted to blame it on our—"

"Yes, that is why," Loki interrupted. Her nasally voice was getting to him and causing the left hemisphere of his brain to ache. Everything about Darcy felt like sand paper to him. "As to why I want you to succeed should be no surprise. As you know from our previous conversation, I have a wife. I wish to return to her; however, certain circumstances make that impossible with out my br—Thor." His green eyes came to rest on the bracelet that dangled from his right wrist. "You are not the only one waiting on someone, Jane Foster," he assured. There was sadness to his voice that perked her attention. She noticed the slightest bit that his eyes glimmered a bit more. "So it is to our best interests to work together."

"You friggin' threatened her," Darcy reminded brutally.

"I'm protective of my wife," he countered quickly. Loki leaned over the table, looking at Darcy as if she were but an ant about to be squished beneath his foot. "She's been through enough; more than what she should've endured in the first place." Loki couldn't control the raw hurt and protectiveness in his voice. He felt as if someone were pulling on the strings in his throat to make it tight.

Darcy turned to Jane, whom was looking at Loki. Her stomach was rolling around in her gut like a dog in the mud. "You tried to kill Thor," Jane stated. She felt her heart skip a beat as the image of Thor lying on the pavement came rushing to the front of her head. "And now you need him. It seems a bit ironic." Jane turned her back to Loki as she began to walk to the door. "Get out of lab and don't return. If I catch you spying on us again I'll call the agents to come and kill you." With that, she left the room with her stomach in knots and her heart being dangled above a pool of hungry sharks.

Darcy watched as Jane left. She turned her head to see Loki holding his head in what looked to be defeat. She could see a tear fall onto the paper below him. Slowly she gathered herself. Half of her body was jerking her towards the door while another bit was inching closer to Loki. "Look she's just—are you okay?" Darcy inquired bluntly.

He jerked his head up. His eyes were red from the pain of the tears being brought to the surface again. "No, I'm not!" Loki yelled, half of it coming out as a sad yelp. "I'm a royal fuck up! I am hated by my family, exiled for an eternity by every realm outside of this one, and have nothing left! _Nothing_! The one person in all of the nine realms who may still lov—accept me after every fucking mistake I've done, lies in the hands of a couple of humans and Thor! I may never see—" Loki's voice died there. His throat was closed off as the old wounds began to bleed again. With a trembling hand he held his forehead. The outside of him, the trembling hands and vulnerable position, barely scratched the surface of the chaos brewing within him. He felt as if any moment he would explode from the chaos. The pressure … it just never seemed to stop.

Darcy, scared by the volatile rise in his voice, backed towards the door; however, she did not dare turn her back on him. She gripped the metal handle of the semi-transparent door. Then reaching to her pocket, Darcy pulled out her prescription bottle. Carefully she set it down. "You should take a few. It'll make you feel better," she muttered. With that, she left the room, but her mind continued to flutter back to the image of Loki hunched over the table like an unwanted animal in pain.


	8. Chapter 8

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Wow! The feedback from the last chapter was simply amazing! :D I'm honestly speechless!

Without further waiting, here is the next installment!

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><p><em>Trust is like a vase.. once it's broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.<em>

**Chapter Eight: From Here Until Ragnarok**

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><p>He could hear the heavy breathing of another just feet away from him. It was raspy, forced, and watery. He could hear the pitter patter of some liquid dropping, quite some feet he imagined, onto a hard surface. From the dull sound it made as it when <em>plop<em>, Thor imagined a pool had formed at the bottom. But where the sound came from was hard to identify. The fire's mumbling was a constant noise that threw off his sense of direction. He rolled his side from side-to-side but no matter what side he chose, it made no difference. Thor lifted his lids but heaviness clung to them and forced them shut after just a few seconds of seeing dull firelight being casted onto the black stonewalls. Again he tried, but he felt as if strong, tiny fingers, almost childlike, were pushing them shut.

"You won't get far," the masculine voice gurgled. Thor could hear the spit come up, followed by coughing and more spit. Thor could hear the same mucus-like liquid splatter to the ground. "They put a spell over you to keep you blind. It would be awful if the son of Odin knew all of our secrets—" Thor could hear him choke on the last word before spewing up more spit and coughs. This went on for quite some time, or at least it felt like it went on for quite some time. Each cough only seemed to make it worse. From the grave, familiar sound, Thor assumed the source of his gurgling and spit to be from a deep chest wound.

"You should conserve your energy," Thor spoke. To his surprise, his voice was incredibly weak, almost hollow from his severe lack of energy. He found himself gasping for air.

The same voice that was coughing was now laughing, laughing hard; however, the coughs and spit ups worked their way in between each laugh viciously and without mercy. "You won't breath we—" Again, his voice was broken by a hysterical coughing spree. "Well after being exposed to the cold this long. You're skin is turning black and blue as it is. Won't be long till your muscles freeze. Then you'll just suffocate underneath your own weight." The voice laughed at the idea with a bit _too_ much joy in his voice. "Now you can feel the neglect All Father has casted over us, son of Odin. Maybe now he'll finally do something since his son now faces the consequences of Laufey's reign."

Thor, he didn't know where it came from, managed an ironic chuckle. "But aren't you his son, Helblindi Laufeyson?" he asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.

His comrade was silent before sighing. "Heritage matters little among the Juton, son of Odin," he clarified with bitterness to his voice. "Laufey—" Thor noticed the slightest bit of hate and disgust the frost giant pronounced the name. "Was no exception. He abandoned two out of three of his sons because they were not worthy. The only reason I live is because my mother lived and gave me to an islander. My youngest brother was not nearly as lucky; though, perhaps he was because he was spared of Laufey's reign." He kept his voice to a whisper to avoid more coughing fits, but his words were strong and full of strength. "I am _no_ son of Laufey, son of Odin. I am nothing but a small island trader turned frost giant trying to stir up some chaos for the real son of Laufey… Or else I wouldn't be here, son of Odin."

Thor allowed his body to lean forward. He could barely feel his wrists being held together behind his back and the chain that was wrapped around them, but only barely. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't feel of his body. The god didn't even know whether his legs were underneath him or out in front of him. "The real son of Laufey?" Thor questioned.

"Byleistr," Helblindi cut off sharply. "Though you may as well as call him Laufey since there is little difference between the two." From his tone, Thor could feel the hate radiating out of the frost giant. "Anyone would have thought it bad enough to suffer underneath Laufey, but to do so again?" He laughed out at the tragedy like a mad man, but his madness ended in a coughing fit and spit. "Underneath Laufey we went from being a beacon of the nine realms to the scum of the tree. Not that you would've known, son of Odin, but Jotunheim wasn't a frozen wasteland until Laufey stormed Skadi's palace and stole the casket." He took a heavy, labored breath. "Underneath Byleistr our race will die, and no one will shed a tear for the monsters."

He didn't know what to say to that. Perhaps he should've protested that Odin would never allow that, but Thor knew as much as any other Asgardian, Odin may not have wanted war with the Jotun but he sure would never offer his aid to them. Odin was not above punishing people—Thor himself had suffered his own punishment—but to punish an entire race seemed a bit far stretched. Yet… His mind drifted to Loki. His brother would've obliterated them had he not stepped in. Would Odin have? Would any Asgardian aside from he have actually stopped Loki from obliterating an entire race—a race that would have gladly killed an Aesir and vice-versa. Somewhere inside his numb gut, he felt the faintest drop of doubt tickle his muscles.

Thor took a deep breath as he leaned farther over the ground; only the chains on his wrists kept him up as of now. Had he not been exiled to Earth, would he have stopped Loki? He could faintest sound of an inner voice whisper a _no_. To his own surprise, he didn't fight against the whisper. No, the god painfully swallowed down the truth. He would have been beside his brother the entire time. He would've let an entire race be turned to dust. The only one who might've shed a tear would have been Sigyn and a handful of Vanir. What a shame the realms had become… Was there no sense of community left among them?

Maybe… Maybe Loki wasn't mad at all.

Maybe, just maybe, he was more like Odin than what anyone gave him credit.

"Silent? That would be a first, son of Odin," Helblindi scoffed.

"Thinking," he muttered.

"About what, son of Odin?" the frost giant inquired with a volatile voice.

"What you said," Thor responded neutrally. "You are right, no one would shed a tear for the Jotun. No one even recalls Jotunheim being anything but a wasteland. It's a shame since the first living creature was said to be a Jotun."

"His name was Ymir," Helblindi corrected. "The first Jotun, and he too was killed by the Aesir because the Aesir felt threatened by our race. As punishment, all giants were forced to smear his blood across their faces to represent shame. Little did they know that the Aesir had tainted the blood, causing all but two giants to die." He fell silent. He could hear the rattling of the giant's chains as he switched positions. "We have been at war since the beginning of time, son of Odin. It will finally come to an end; perhaps not the way the Aesir would have wished. Though, I do not think the Aesir care whether the Jotun are destroyed by their own race, so long as they are destroyed."

Thor couldn't help but feel as if his brother were being attacked again. He growled lowly because through and through, Loki was still his brother. People went to judge him too quickly without thinking it through. He himself had done this many times to his brother, but now he saw the light. It took losing his brother to find it. "If you're talking about Loki—"

"This isn't about your brother, son of Odin," Helblindi lashed. Thor could hear the chains struggling against their bindings and the small _swoosh_ of the giant's feet as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Laufey killed more of his own kind than Odin ever did. Laufey took our world and turned it into a frozen wasteland. He committed genocide by destroying the fire giants simply because they did not possess worthy skills. He continued to kill off his own people after the war with Odin. Loki did us a favor by destroying Laufey's armies; though, not enough of them since Byleistr is king. He'll pick up where Laufey left off. He'll kill the rest of us."

"I won't let that happen," Thor responded immediately. He didn't know why he responded quickly but he did, and it felt right.

Helblindi sneered at the comment. "I suppose you'll move mountains next?" he retorted coldly.

Thor pressed his chin to the top of his chest. "I know my words sound funny, but I won't let that occur. My father's reign is coming to an end and with that I shall become the new king. I can make it so that we are no longer enemies, Helblindi. We can become great allies, the Aesir and Jotun." His comrade was silent, but not in a way that left Thor with the feeling he was pondering over his words. "Helblindi?" he questioned.

"We will always be enemies, son of Odin," the giant responded weakly. His voice was broken, full of what sounded like water. "We were from the beginning, and we shall be until Ragnarok. One king cannot change a history of violence and hatred, son of…" His voice faded back into the silence. Only the crackle of the fire could be heard in the small, icy room. Suddenly, the air felt just as cold and lifeless as the stones he rested upon.

Thor could easily flick his eyelids open. He turned his head to the trail of blood that had gathered on the ground. High up, hanging by his wrists, was Helblindi, or what remained of the poor bastard. But something was amiss, and it was more than just his wounds. The blue tones that had dyed his skin were gone, leaving nothing but lethally pale skin, just like Loki. The giant's left eye was no longer red, but was white with a green iris. His right eye was gorged out, leaving nothing but a black hole into his soul. Vicious, cruel deep wounds had been cut into the side of his face, exposing the ebon' bone to the bitter cold. Helblindi's mouth was covered in blood and phlegm.

The giant had a clean cut along the side of his neck. His chest, as he had suspected earlier, harbored two deep wounds on the right side. Blood and bone had protruded through the skin like ominous mountains on a plain. Slashes from a sword coated his abdomen and trailed down his thighs. At both the knees, more black bones stuck out. The left leg had been turned nearly 180 degrees and hung on only by mere skin. On his other leg was a deep burn that resembled that from where a frost giant had gripped him. Thor could feel sympathetic for the giant, for in every aspect he looked like an Aesir, only much taller.

In the middle of the room, the fire crackled again as the last of the timber began to turn to ash. Thor could feel the darkness beginning to press against him, nipping at him, slowly eating away at his willpower. Worse, the ice made him numb to fighting it off, made him just want to go to sleep. That was the greatest power that ice had. His blue eyes stared into the fire as he watched the flames lick the wood. He caught sight of something in the corner of the room, hiding beneath the shadows like it was a safety blanket. All he could make out were the vibrant, watery red eyes and high cheekbones.

Then his eyes fell with hers to see the bloody dagger she held in her hand; the fresh blood still ran down the boney blade and dripped onto the floor. Then he understood perfectly. Thor bowed his head and closed his eyes as he waited the same fate she had bestowed upon Helblindi.

Thor heard her light footsteps as she walked cautiously over the frozen ground. There seemed to be almost a hesitation in each step she took. Her steps stopped when she was close enough that he could her breath on the top of his forehead. He

felt the tip of his skin freeze from her breath. Very carefully, she ran a finger through the hair that fell over his face; her finger lightly, just barely scrapping the skin. She brought her mouth next to his ear where he could hear her light breathing. With the same shyness, Sigyn placed her lips upon Thor's. He could barely feel her lips, but there was no doubting they were there. "Forgive me, Thor," she whispered. "I never meant to abandon you."

He opened his eyes to see the tears running down her cheeks, along her jaw line, and dripping down onto the furry cap that engulfed her form. The white pelt glittered from the dying fire as its light passed through the tiny ice crystal that had accumulated. "There's nothing to forgive, Sigyn," he whispered back to hear in a husky voice. "You did what I wanted you to do." From the look in her eyes, he knew she didn't believe his words. Sigyn dropped her head into a submissive position. Thor sighed. "Why do you act _this_ way? Where's that strong lady I saw on the boat or with Helblindi?"

She was silent for a moment. Then Sigyn looked to him, half expecting him to see the answer in her eyes. "I'm—I'm not submissive because I chose to be shy, Thor. I am submissive because I had to be to survive. It's—" Her head fell down again, her long braid falling to the side. He could her gulp down a soft sob. "I'm only submissive and shy to those I do not trust." Thor felt a punch roll through his gut and rattle his bones. She licked her lips before looking him in the eye with an apologetic stare. Just like a quiet mouse, she stood up again. Thor watched, his stomach in knots, how she slinked towards the door like he were some vile creature about to lash out at her.

"Why do you not trust me, Sigyn?" he asked. She paused, her hand on the door's handle. "What have I done to wrong you?" Sigyn then pulled open the door and vanished down the hallway. Thor hung his head low in defeat ... the first time since Loki's death. He closed his eyes, feeling the same heartache rip through him as the noose was pulled tighter. The only difference between now and then was he felt like his grip on Sigyn's hand was slipping, not the other way around.


	9. Chapter 9

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** How 'bout something a little more uplifting? Yes?

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><p><em>A half-truth is a whole lie.<em>

**Chapter Nine: A**nd We're off to See the … Jotun Maid?** **

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><p>Thor opened his eyes to find himself in a different room. Well, room would be an understatement; it was more like a grand hall, similar to that of his father's throne room in size. The interior walls were of hard, black rock, and were covered in ornamental pelts that ranged from the deepest of blacks, to the richest of whites, and to the most warm of browns. Elegantly crafted weapons hung beneath each pelt, resting on a mantel made of ice. Above the pelts, near the ceiling, crackled the fire that lit the room with its warm touch. The ceiling itself was work of art. All the constellations that could be seen on Jotunheim were carved into the hard rock with precision. Hues of gold branched off of Jotunheim in eight different directions to the other realms; silver leaves sprouted from the gold, looking as if they cushioned each realm.<p>

"Admiring the ceiling?" The voice was feminine but deep … and full of winter's harsh cold. With a groan, Thor rolled his head to the side, wincing at the stiffness in his neck. Well, it wasn't just his neck. His whole body was stiff, tired, and weak. Thor was face to face at the feet of a frost giant. Moving his blue eyes up, he saw that she easily stood, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, maybe sixteen feet tall, but from his angle, he wasn't able to tell for sure. She wore a war skirt that was similar to what Laufey had worn. From her waist hung a large, intimidating hunting knife. Next to it dangled a pouched of arrows. The giantess' chest was bare, exposing her large breasts to the cold. Only a single, silver string fell across her chest. It took him a minute to recognize it as that of a bow.

"My eyes are up here, son of Odin," she criticized. He raised his eyes higher to see a rather young face looking down upon him. Her face was soft, heart-shaped, and complete with large, full lips. He supposed that if she weren't blue and miles taller than he, Thor might have considered her beautiful, but the red eyes… They were just creepy and so unnatural, alien looking. The fact that she had no hair either, just a baldhead only made her that much more alien to him. She annoyingly huffed at him. "Are you going to stay on the ground?" There was no patience in her voice.

"No," Thor grunted irritatingly. Slowly, painfully he mustered enough strength to raise himself onto his legs. For a moment his vision went black as he wobbled on his two feet like a newborn deer. With a few blinks, Thor found steady ground. He looked to the giantess, finally able to grasp her fierce, seventeen feet size. He felt like a dwarf next to her, especially without his beloved hammer hanging loyally by his side. Thor straightened himself to appear larger before the woman. "Where is Sigyn?" he asked quickly. Unmistakably—well, maybe a little bit on purpose—Thor's voice came off pissed.

As if he had slapped the giantess across the face, she flinched. "My daughter is fine, Thor," she chided. "I gave her a drink to help her sleep since she is tormented by Loki in her dreams. The poor thing… She is worse than a babe, crying when she wakes, having to be force fed, and generally useless." Skadi let out a heavy sigh. "I have not seen her this bad since when she was young." The giantess looked to Thor with a gaze nothing short of hate. "I would ask what happened in Asgard to upset my daughter so much, but I already know." Her voice ended with a chilling whisper. Skadi's red eyes rested upon Thor with unkindness. "I would have thought my daughter to be smarter than to mingle with _your_ kind a _second_ time."

Thor's lip quivered as he held back a growl. "You need not worry, Lady Skadi," he assured through clenched teeth. "Sigyn does not trust me."

The giantess laughed. She turned her back to Thor as she strode towards a large, ebon' wolf pelt. Beneath was an equally black blade on a long, slender, two-handed sword meant for an Aesir. The giantess' fingers gently fluttered over the golden hilt. "Why should she, Thor?" she mocked. "The Aesir have only caused her grief from the beginning of her life. I suppose she continues to mingle with your breed in hopes of changing that image etched into her memory. That is the cause of her grief—that I was right in the end."

"Right about what?" Thor questioned bitterly. "That the Aesir are just, brave, proud, strong—"

"And stupid," she cut off angrily. "Ignorant, and cruel." She casted her vicious eyes upon Thor again, and he felt a bitterly strong chill lick the back of his spine. There was something unstable about the giantess, like a wolf about to pounce, the snow upon the mountain about to fall, the sword ready to strike him down. "Yet, like a babe, she has yet to learn that no matter how many times you touch the fire, it shall sear your skin always."

"Are you here to criticize my heritage or to speak of business, Lady Skadi?" Thor asked curtly. He kept his chest to her, not trust his back to the giantess. His stomach grew into more knots as she turned her head away from him. Her body language, much like Loki, was unreadable without a face to place the emotions. "I will not stand for my people, my forefathers, my heritage to be mocked."

She chuckled again at him, like he was a boy. Then Skadi sighed, her mood drastically changing from one of force and anger to despair … and regret? "I have heard from Huginn and Muninn that it was you who stopped Loki. For that, I owe you my life and the life of my daughter." With ease, she lifted up the sword to the tree engraved on the ceiling. The sword seemed so small in the hands of the giantess. He watched she traced the path from the world of never ending ice to Asgard. "She has told me, in between her nightmares and sobs, that you have been good to her, Thor. She claims, that you are different than the other Aesir—you love a mortal?"

He barely nodded. "Her name is Jane Foster," Thor answered with neither glee nor somberness. "She hails from Midgard."

He saw the tiniest of empathetic looks from the giantess when he spoke of his beloved Jane. "My marriage ended because neither Njord nor I could give up our homelands, so we parted; even though we loved each other dearly. It becomes hard to love someone when she or he is very far away, Thor. Impossible really … until I saw how much love was still in my daughter's tears for Loki. Even though years have passed, she believes him to lie on the other side, she continues to love him as if he never harmed her, never left her … as if he's still coming back. Do believe Jane does the same for you, Thor? Is she as loyal as the goddess of fidelity?"

He was silent; his lips pulled into a deep scowl. From what Heimdall had told him, Jane still searched for his image in the stars every night, but Heimdall never said it was out of love that she searched for him. The guard never specified why she looked for him, only that she looked. "I can only hope she waits for me as I wait for her," Thor answered. "If she does not, I shall understand her reasons. If she does—" His eyes were alit with a sparkle in them. He recalled Jane's soft mouth upon his, the taste of blood, sand, sadness, and hope. A smile tugged at the edges of his full lips. Thor's heart skipped a beat at the possibility of holding her in his arms again, kissing her in the sand, and laying her to bed. "I will be elated."

Skadi's eyes smirked with danger. "Can you imagine having to endure that waiting, unsure of whether your love still loves you not once, not twice, but many, many times?"

He had a hard time swallowing down a bitter pill. "No," Thor breathed as he felt the dagger slide further into his heart. He bowed his head to his chest. "Once is enough… To go through it more than once would be an unusual and cruel punishment."

"Loki has left my daughter many, _many_ times; sometimes for seasons on end, Thor," Skadi told in a rather omniscient voice. "She has endured this pain many times over because he could _never_ stay in one place. Njord thought it best for Sigyn to remain in _one_ place so she would have stability, but her stability _never _came from being in one place—it came from being with one person." She lowered the sword, flipped it around, and held out the hilt to Thor. "As much as he undeserving of her as he is, Loki was that stable force in her life. She _needs_ that, Thor."

Thor lifted his head, noticing the worry lines that were being carved into the giantess' youthful face. "What are you wanting me to do, Lady Skadi?" he asked. He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly. The giantess let go, watching as Thor twisted the weapon around with ease and skill of many centuries of fighting.

"Loki lives," Skadi breathed heavily. Thor felt the breath knocked out of him. "I saw him limping off into the distance when he came through the bifrost. He disappeared into one of the caverns and was never seen again. I assume has gone to Midgard because that is where your woman is. So you must go there because he is the _only_ one within the nine realms who will know how to fix my daughter so that she may be well again." Thor's eyes were wide, his mouth parted with no words, and his brain numb to all actions but listening. "I will aid you to Midgard, but on the condition you will protect my daughter from _your_ brother.

"So swear upon that sword given unto me by your father that you will do so, Thor Odinson. Swear to me that you will protect my daughter." The giantess looked to him, and he looked to her with unsure eyes. Anxiety poured through him. Loki lived? Then why in Odin's name had he not returned home? Then a flash of rage came through him quickly and only lasted a second, but it was a second long enough that he felt his muscles tense. If Loki had dared to lay a hand on Jane... Then Thor fell to his knees, holding his upper body up by gripping the sword.

"I will swear only because I promised Sigyn I would aid her in her recovery to becoming well again," Thor spoke, making his point clear to the giantess. Though Sigyn had sworn she did not trust him, he would not allow that to break his oath. "I swear to protect your daughter."

"Swear you will become that stable force in her life while on Midgard?"

"I swear."

"Swear, that if need be and called upon, you will kill your brother, Loki Odinson, should he dare harm my daughter?" the giantess asked, her voice turning a dangerous cold.

Thor stared the giantess in the eyes, matching her strong gaze. He shook his head before rising. "I cannot do that mi'lady," he replied in a strained voice. "Loki may not be my brother by blood, but that does not mean I regard him as anything less than a blood brother." He stood tall and puffed out his chest as the giantess eyed him angrily.

"Even though he lied to you about your mother? Your father?" Skadi retorted. "Even though he would've slain you to rule Asgard? Even though he is evil?" She saw the slightest come through the god in an insecure blink. She leaped at the opportunity like a hungry wolf. "Loki is an evil god of lies, deception, and black magic. He cares for no one but himself. Sigyn is living proof of that."

Thor heard an audible crack inside his chest and echo off the inside of his skull. A warm feeling washed through his body, delivering relief and strength to his sullen bones. From the source came hotter liquid and only enhanced the heat flowing inside of him. "My brother is not the god of evil," he growled through to clenched teeth. "He is mischievous, yes, but everything he does, he does for a reason. He is the one to bring about change. Not just any change mind you, but needed change. My brother, he is the greatest King's fool to ever live, Lady Skadi.

"As a king's fool, he makes us laugh at our own expense, envious of his wit and charm, and is the only one who can speak the truth without losing his head. His silver tongue makes him invaluable to any king wise enough to realize this. He single handedly kept the Vanir and Aesir from going to war a second time. He has _always_ looked after the good of Asgard and her people. Loki has, if not always, been a much better prospect for being the king of Asgard than I." Thor's voice was straining from the intensity of the heat rolling through him. The pent of energy begged, pleaded, and screamed for release. His sharp actions of walking around the giantess as he spoke gave away his dangerous attitude. "He has been nothing but good to Sigyn. She would not have loved him otherwise. If what you say is true, Lady Skadi, then the reason she still loves him so dearly is because he was _so_ good to her."

The giantess whipped her head away from the sight of Thor. "You feel that strongly for your brother?" she stated rhetorically. She sneered at the their bond before laughing hysterically. Thor was beyond irate at her rudeness. She quelled her laugh as she noticed his hand wrapping around the hilt of the sword. The room became ominously quiet. Skadi took a deep breath as she recovered from her hard laugh. "I must say, perhaps you are more suited for each other than what I first thought. After all, if it weren't for the fact that Balder is dead, he would have casted you aside like he did Loki because of your blood."

"My blood?" Thor questioned.

"Of course," Skadi answered aloofly. "It is the reason Sigyn has only stayed around you this long. It is the only reason she ever showed herself to Loki in the first place."

"What's that suppose to mean?" he asked bitterly; his aggravation only grew as she continued to suggest the answer vaguely.

"You are truly thick-headed, aren't you?" she bit back viciously. "The only reason Sigyn ever came out of the bushes when Loki strolled through Njord's garden was because she knew he wasn't Aesir—er, full Aesir. She knew him to be different, like her, so she showed herself to him. Look, he isn't Aesir at all! He's a Jotun! What a cruel prank the universe has played upon him!" She chuckled too happily for Thor's taste. "Though she distrusts you, Thor, she continues to hang about you like a puppy because you are not full Aesir. In the mind, just like Loki, you are full Aesir; beyond that, you are not. Just like Sigyn, you are Jotun underneath your Aesir skin."

"I am the son of Odin—"

"That you are!" Skadi interjected. "But you are _not_ the son of Frigga. No, you look _nothing_ like her. I'm sure others have told you that too, no?" Thor's eyes were narrowing upon the giantess. "I'm sure people told you, you looked like your father, only because they didn't know what your mother looked like, but I do. I can say that you have your mother's skin in your iris, Thor. You have her strength no doubt!" Skadi pushed open the doors that led out of her throne room and to the grand ice halls. "Just like Loki, he failed to tell you of your heritage. Not that it really surprises me considering Odin is the greatest god of deceit, more so than Loki. Think about it… Odin was able to keep the secret of Loki's heritage from Frigga, from you, and from Loki himself. Would it really surprise you if he kept the secret of you being a half-breed? After all, you would've been considered a disgrace, just like my daughter was when she was but a wee babe."

The giantess straightened herself, standing on edge as always. The fire's light in her red eyes seemed, daemonic in nature and as changing as the seasons. "Now, go comfort my daughter, knowing that you two are the same vile offspring of a union that is damned by all. Take the hallway to the left, then another left, and the door at the end of the corridor. You'll have a lot to talk about with her, Thor Jordson," Skadi ended. She turned her back to him one last time before disappearing into the rock wall like it were water.


	10. Chapter 10

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Since I've gotten a bit farther ahead, I decided to post a chapter early! I have to say, I really enjoyed writing the chapter! It only took about a day to crunch this out! I hope my excitement for this chapter shows!

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><p><em>All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.<em>

**Chapter Ten: Half-breeds and Jotun**

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><p>He … He didn't know what to think after Skadi's rant, lie, revelation? So he blankly stood there, eyes glazed over, as he replayed what she had said to him over and over and over and over and over again in his mind. The word half-breed kept echoing off ominously in his head a little <em>too <em>easily. There was no way he could be a half-breed—Thor wasn't like Sigyn or his brother whom were pale with green eyes and naturally scrawny. No! Thor was sun-kissed, blue eyes, and built for power.

'_You have her strength no doubt…_' whispered the giantess again in his mind.

But Odin was naturally strong. It only seemed natural that he would inherit that trait from his father. After all, Balder had inherited the same trait; though, from what he had heard of his older brother, he was much stronger, more powerful than Balder ever was. Even his own father said he was stronger than he ever had been in his prime. Thor had always accounted it for it coming from his father's strong bloodline, his fierce training, and of course, possessing Mjollnir. It only made sense … but so did Skadi's suggestion. Giants, whether he or she was frost, fire, forest, or island, were all naturally graced with strength. Their strength, combined with their natural control over the elements, made their race especially powerful and dangerous.

Powerful enough that perhaps Asgard had felt threatened by them?

Helblindi had claimed that was the reason his forefather had killed Ymir.

No, that couldn't be. Asgard was the shining, golden city atop the hill for all to see. There was no greater place in all of the universe than Asgard! No place could even begin to rival her golden beauty! His head hung low as he recalled where all the gold had come from—the war with the Vanir. The Vanir had lost the war and surrendered to the Aesir. Thus, the Vanir became part of the Aesir. With it, Asgard would have all the gold needed to erect its beautiful buildings and walls. But why the two had ever gone to war was never fully explained to Thor. There weren't too many records of the war since it occurred early on his father's reign; which was well before Odin had built his grand hall for Frigga and his future children.

The Vanir were something much to be envied. Their great mastery of magic always produced the best vegetables, fruits, ships, and crafts. Rumor had it that their blacksmithing could rival that of the dwarves, but it was just a rumor. It was because of the Vanir that Asgard had been able to beat back Laufey's forces so efficiently on Midgard. No one could even begin to rival the Vanir and their magic. Well, Loki could have, but that was only because he studied with the Vanir. Wait…

Thor began follow the direction the giantess had given him. The halls were very similar to the room he had been in previously. The walls were high, even for a frost giant. Fire ran along the very edge of the wall and licked the top of the ceiling. The ice scattered the orange, yellow, and red light across and down the corridor. These walls too held pelts of strange animals Thor had never seen; however, there was nothing below them.

Turning another left, he picked up his pace. His eyes at the large, metal doors at the end of the hallway. Carvings inked in silver and gold depicted the fierce faces of a wolf with ruby eyes and a serpent with green eyes. Thor placed two of his mighty hands on one door and pushed. The door did not budge easily, but slowly, he felt it begin to move underneath his force. Thor slipped through the opening, emerging into a large, open space room. _Smack!_ He jumped around to see the door having slammed itself closed … angrily?

"The doors naturally close on their own. It's to keep any Aesir from being able to sneak around should they be capable of opening it."

His ears led him to the source of the soft voice. In the center of the room was a large fir located in a pit six feet down and easily fourteen feet in diameter. Around the pit were thick, shaggy pelts that ranged from brown to white, to black, and to silver. There wasn't just a few, but a good foot of these pelts lined around the pit. Sitting atop the see of fur, with her white pelt cloak still covering her body, was Sigyn. Her hair was pulled back into a single braid. Shockingly enough, she wasn't nearly as gaunt as he remembered her down in the cell. There seemed to be life to her again. Well, at least to her skin. The dark circles still clung to her eyes and were darker in color. Sigyn's eyes were not just red from constant crying, but red like a frost giant's. Thor naturally took a step back. Shyly she looked away.

Thor only took the least amount of time to notice that this room was different than the corridors and halls. The far wall to the north was completely made out of white and blue ice. Sunlight from far above filtered down through it, creating lighting that was neither bright nor dull but a comfortable mix. Next to that same wall, he noticed a small trench about six inches across had been built. In it ran water he was sure was as cold as Skadi's attitude. The western facing wall was lined with shelves that only reached as far as Sigyn could possibly reach. Piled atop the black metal shelves were a variety of items. There were dolls of humans and animals made out of the finest looking cloth and fur; clothes made out of the same materials as the dolls; and jewelry of unknown metals and stones that glittered more than the stars or the water beneath a full moon.

Then to the southern wall were finely crafted toys that belonged to a young child of perhaps ten, maybe twelve years of age. There were numerous piles of them, all each organized. Then it dawned upon Thor. All of these toys, they were from when Sigyn was but a child. He turned his blue eyes to her. Thor watched as Sigyn fumbled with one of these soft dolls in her hands. She stroked the wolf's golden fur much like a child would. In the way she held herself, Thor saw but a child beside the fire, not in looks but in heart and mind. He felt a pang of pain prick at his gut at the way she looked like a young, shy, abused child with no one in the world but that plush.

The sight of her in this state only invoked a need to shelter her and protect her from all bad things in the universe. She just looked, so, so lonely there stroking the plush with her large eyes staring blankly at it. He wondered if this was how she looked when she was alone in Odin's hall. Did she looked this out of place there as she did here? His heart plummeted for her. Never had such a strong instinct to go up to a woman and wrap her in his arms wash over him as Sigyn did.

So Thor walked up to the pile of furry pelts. He took noticed how Sigyn paid him little attention as he stripped his battered boots off of his feet and took off his signature crimson cape. The god noticed too, much to his surprise, that Sigyn was nude beneath her cloak. He could see so much more to her than what he had imagined. The girl's wrists were scarred on the inside from many deep, self-inflicted cuts. Those scars seemed insignificant compared to what he saw next. Her left arm, where the burn had been, was blue skin. There was a hair-thin outline of black, decaying skin in between the blue skin and her natural pale skin. The same pattern he noticed was on her face from where Helblindi had grabbed her.

He felt the heat of the fire brush against his armor, super heating it. Now he understood why Sigyn was naked next to the fire. Anyone would drown in their clothes and sweat next to it. Thor removed his chest armor, his muscles straining and moaning with each stretch and contraction. God, he was _so_ sore! He placed his armor off to the side. Thor tossed his ebon' shirt to the side. He hesitated for a moment before stripping off his black pants. The god stepped lightly onto the pelts. His feet curled around the softness of the fur. Never had he imagined that animal pelts would feel _so_ great next to one's skin. It was like sand but eight times more heavenly.

Slowly he sat beside Sigyn, sinking much further into the sea of pelts than she. No, like always she seemed to float atop them like she was a ghost. Well, it felt like she was ghost sitting next o her. Sigyn didn't so much as acknowledge him. She continued to stroke that pitiful wolf. Thor sighed. "I'm glad to see you are finally eating more, Sigyn. You appear much fuller," he spoke. He flicked his eyes to her, but she was keeping her mouth shut. "Your mother is an interesting person…"

Thor had never been graced with a silver tongue like Loki, and it sure showed now. He leaned forward towards the flames. Feeling the flames like the cold off his skin was refreshing. He felt his body begin to relax. Sigyn, though she too leaned towards the flames, kept her head low, eyes on the plush, and fingers wrapped around the plush's fur. He reached with his left hand and placed it over her right hand. Sigyn became a statue. Her eyes shifted towards him and locked with his. Gently Thor squeezed her hand and forced his fingers between hers. "You can trust me, Sigyn," he whispered. "I do not know what I did or if it were the actions of someone else, but I shall not harm you. I swear, Sigyn."

Sigyn looked away from him, but her fingers squeezed his in return. "I can see it in your eyes, Thor," she murmured. "I know my distrust is hurting you, but I am skeptical of any and all Aesir."

Thor hesitated, something he rarely did, before speaking. "But—Your mother said I am not Aesir. She said I am like you." The words felt awkward coming out of his mouth; Thor would've mistaken his voice for someone else because of the strain in his voice. Actually, his whole body felt sick saying those words. They couldn't be true. No, no! He wasn't a… He was Aesir. Frigga was his mother! There was no way in all of the nine realms he could be anything but an Aesir.

"Now you know how Loki felt when he found out he wasn't an Aesir," Sigyn commented softly. She curled more inward, making herself smaller. "You are a lucky one, Thor. You never looked like a half-breed. I would have thought you to be full Aesir had it not been for how you healed quickly and your undeniable natural strength. I wish I could've looked like you. It would have made life a lot easier, better."

"So I am—"

"Yes," she answered. "You are a half-breed." Thor was lost for words. He didn't know what to think; he couldn't think properly. This time it was Sigyn who placed her other hand on top of Thor's. "All Father is a complex man. He is by all means a deceitful man, but he is so to protect his pride and family. He never told anyone because even if you have a drop of Jotun blood in you, you will be considered a Jotun, an enemy of Asgard. So he was protecting you and Loki because you two were his sons. He loved both of you. Heritage did not matter when it came to loving either of you. In that respect, Odin is ahead of his time."

His stomach felt like a punching bag for a professional boxer at the moment. Thor saw Sigyn looking towards him with soft, understanding eyes. "You say he loved us both equally, but why was I then chosen to be the future king?" he inquired, his voice shaking. "That does not make sense, Sigyn."

She blinked slowly. "I—I know you don't understand, but All Father is a complex man, Thor. He chose you to be king for more than the fact you are his seed or the golden child. He is a wise man and has his reasons for choosing you as king, most likely because you are half Aesir. To have a Jotun on the throne, no matter how qualified, would have been enough to cause a revolt. At least one of half Aesir might be able to keep the people's trust. Maybe eventually, lead to a Jotun taking over the throne of Asgard," she contemplated. "Loki will live much longer than you, Thor. The Jotun live three to four times longer than an Aesir. Henceforth why my mother is still young looking. He would be able to carry one where you would leave off. Then you would have a peaceful transition, Thor. This would _Ragnarok_ _without_ any _blood,_ _violence_, and _death_.

"Odin saw what the Jotun were capable of after witnessing their power on Midgard. He knows that it is only a matter of time till the Jotun gain control over the nine realms. He saw that coming. That's why he had you, Thor," Sigyn explained. "It the same reason he took Loki. All Father knows that the reign of the Jotun is coming, and he is preparing Asgard for that day. He wants no more bloodshed. He wants an alliance. Take a look at you and Loki, Thor. You two are still stuck on each other; where one goes the other follows. What one doesn't think of, the other will. You two complete each other. The Aesir and Jotun can compliment each other underneath the right leadership."

"You make my father sound noble," Thor chided.

She took a deep breath. "Because he is, and he is about the only Aesir I will grace with that word," Sigyn replied through her comforting voice. "You and Loki were his greatest creations, Thor. He encouraged both you and Loki's strengths; he pushed you harder than ever to become a fierce warrior; he gave Loki as many opportunities as possible to challenge his intellect and expand on his natural gifts of sorcery. He's been a good father, Thor. Don't do what Loki did and allow your heritage to ruin that relationship. All Father suffers enough with the guilt of Loki's suicide. He doesn't need to lose another son."

Thor, despite the nausea, managed to smile at Sigyn. "You're wise beyond your years if you realized all of that," Thor complimented. She meekly smiled back like he was just saying it to say it. "I mean it, Sigyn. Thank you." She gave him a small nod in return before shrinking back to her little ball. Sigyn took her hands back so she could stroke the plush wolf that flopped in her lap. Thor placed his hand on her shoulder and ran it down her back. Once again she froze, but as he continued to rub her back, Sigyn relaxed. She leaned farther over so he rubbed more of her back. Thor smiled at her compliant nature.

For the first time since Loki's absence, he saw a genuine smile of happiness on her face. His own heart felt warm as a result. Being her protector would be hard he knew, but to see the sadness gone from her bones, even if just for a fleeting moment, was all worth it. The satisfaction from knowing that she wasn't in pain, at least in this moment, was so filling to know that there were still truly innocent souls who needed someone. Thor was more than elated to be that someone.


	11. Chapter 11

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Hello again! Yes, another non-Tuesday update! I figure I'll post this now since I won't be updating on Tuesday this week since the fourth is on a Monday.

Anyway, I changed the rating of the story. I've been reading some "T" stories that have a lot more gore and adult themes; not to say that isn't coming, but until then I'll keep the story "T."

Anyway, I know I haven't said this for the pass few chapters, but thanks again for the reviews, favs, and alerts! You have no idea how encouraging it is to see them!

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><p><em>Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.<em>

**Chapter Eleven: Do Not mix Alcohol and Drugs**

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><p>"The fuck!"<p>

"That's what I said when I tripped over him," Stark informed nonchalantly. He crossed his arms over his white wife-beater shit. The man leaned over Loki, half suppressing a grin but not able to suppress the chuckle. "By the way, I found these next to him, Darcy," he informed. Tony pulled out an empty pill bottle from his jeans. "He'd said—well more like drunk mumbling—that he tried taking a few, but they didn't work. So I'm assuming he took more."

Darcy took the bottle. Her eyes were wide as she stared inside the empty pill bottle. She seemed oblivious to Jane's glare. "Where the hell am I suppose to get a new prescription?" she complained.

"We have bigger problems than your medicine, Darcy," Jane said through an exhausted voice.

She pushed Darcy to the back, away from Loki. Through half angry and half pity she stared down at the god of mischief who lied on the floor in between the computer wires and desks. He was obviously stoned or buzzed or maybe both because he remained in his Asgardian armor. An empty wine bottle was by his side. In his right hand he held onto another, half full bottle of red wine. But the alcohol was the least of her concerns. His pupils were dilated to the point where only a sliver of green outlined the dark doorways to his soul. His cheeks were flushed with blood, giving him a rather rosy appearance from his cold demeanor.

"I—Have I to—told you I haven't been fucked in three years?" Loki mumbled in a haggard voice. "My balls fr—fucking hurt. But these mo—mor—ortals are so…" He gave an unbelievable look to Stark. "They are not pretty. I mean what the hell is up with these things you call zits? You all look like trolls with these zee-zits on your f-f-faces."

Stark only laughed more. "Well, buddy, that's why you have alcohol to make the girls look pretty," he commented lightly.

"Tony!" Jane reprimanded. "This is serious!"

Loki turned his attention to Jane; his satanic horns ripped a handful of wires from the computers. Darcy rushed to hold onto the computer before it could crash onto the ground. Hearing Jane rant about losing more data was no on her priority list. His green eyes lit up as they rested upon Jane. "You made my brother soft, mortal," he spoke in a hushed whisper, but his low tone only added to the venom on each word. "What he saw in you baffles me."

"I told you not to return," Jane remarked bitterly.

He laughed, a combination of her ignorant remark and his drunkenness. "I'mmmmm the god of mischief," Loki slurred. "I don't listen to people's rules; I make my own." He gave her a mischievous smirk. Jane backed away as she saw something malicious glitter in his eyes. "I told my brother I would pay you a visit, Jane. I'm here to fulfill my promise." His hand let go of the wine bottle as he pushed him up. Tony rushed beside Darcy and gripped onto another compute and it teetered near the edge of the desk.

Jane backed away as Loki stumbled onto his feet. He swayed back and fourth uneasily, but his eyes never strayed from her. "More like the god of evil," she retorted. "Now leave us alone."

"Or what?" Loki taunted. "You'll caaall forth those warriors? I'll turn them to ice cream. I can do that, you know?" He cocked his head to one side as his grin grew bigger. "I can do a lot of things, many of which would blooooow your mind." He reached out to Jane, his hand catching hers. Despite his build, the god easily jerked her towards him. Loki could hear Tony and Darcy shouting vigorously at him. Jane could easily smell the alcohol on his breath. "Heimdall!" Loki shouted at the top of his lungs. He shot his head upwards towards the ceiling, staring at an entity that wasn't there. "Summon my brother! I wish him to see his precious mortal turned to something soft … like ice cream."

Without thinking, going on instinct alone, Jane growled, "Then how will you see your wife?" Loki froze in place. His green eyes darted across her face, trying to make sense of her fearful expression and words and dark threat. "You wouldn't be here otherwise. So if you want ever want to see Sigyn—"

"Don't you dare threaten her!" Loki bellowed. His gripped tightened around her wrist. Jane gasped. She felt as if her bones were straining to break underneath the stress. Suddenly that smile he had adorned became a snarl. "I will kill you in ways you thought impossible if you so much as think of laying a hand upon _my_ Sigyn, mortal." He brought his mouth to her ear. "I will make sure that my brother will be watching should that occur."

"Leave her alone!" Darcy yelled. She chucked a keyboard at Loki. It burst into two pieces as it collided against his shoulder armor. The god turned his head to Darcy, failing to notice Tony had left the room. Jane took the moment to jam her free hand's fingers into the god's eyes. With a cry, Loki let go, back up, and losing his balance. He fell over the table and took it with him as gravity's hands yanked him to the ground. The papers scattered to the floor; months' of work disorganized. The sound of a computer screen shattering sounded like thunder to Loki's ears.

Jane looked thankfully to Darcy; in return, Darcy grinned happily. The sound of the broken machinery and paper being crunched caused them to turn their heads back to Loki. He only sat up because his back was pressed into the underside of the table. In a hectic fashion, his right hand sifted through the debris. From underneath the paper and a broken table leg he pulled out half of the tattered bracelet. With a soft jerk, the old leather and string gave way, fraying into several pieces. "No," was all he could whisper. In his drunken state, Loki only pulled harder the old gift, causing it to further split. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He only pulled harder, this time fraying it to the point where the weavings fell apart, and Loki was left with nothing more than a bundle of frayed leather and string. Inside his chest, he felt his own heart begin to fray and come undone.

From the doorway of the "L" shaped room, Tony remerged in his iron suit. He came in with his hand raised, ready to shoot off as many energy blasts as needed. Darcy moved out of Tony's path, and Jane moved to the side. Loki glanced up from the frayed bracelet to see Ironman staring him down, but instead of matching his gaze as he did all opponents, he let his eyes slid back down to the tattered bracelet. In truth, Loki could have cared less bracelet, but it was the memories he had inscribed on it in perfect detail that were now lost that brought him to his knees. He bowed his head to his chest as the tears came down onto his face.

Darcy looked to Tony before glancing to Loki. Her brown eyes drifted to the bracelet. She recognized it as the very same one he had fondled a few weeks back. She felt a pang of sympathy for him as he curled his hand around it. It must have been important to him… "As much as I am for blasting this creep, he is drunk and high," Darcy spoke. "It would be a little extreme to just shoot him when he can't even think properly. I mean, he hasn't bothered us since you told him to leave, Jane." From her field of vision, she saw as other SHIELD soldiers arrived with their weapons armed. They joined behind Tony and aimed their weapons at the intruder. "It's my fault anyway… I kind've gave him my prescription so that he would chill."

"Why the fuck would you do that, Darcy?" Jane inquired. She stared with deer-large eyes at her friend.

"He was freaking out," Darcy defended. "I—I felt sorry for the creep. I mean, he seems really lonely. He obviously can't go to Asgard, or we wouldn't be dealing with him in the first place." She looked to Loki. "Hey, creep. Are you paying attention?" He did not move. Grabbing a mouse, she chucked it at him and hit the top of his helm. This time, the god raised his head. There was an array of emotions swirling inside his glazed eyes: annoyance, hate, remorse, sorrow, and fury. "Why can't you go back to Asgard?"

He winced at the question, but the emotional pain of it was rather dull. In his state, the dullness of the pain was a bit surprising; though, that may have been because he had asked himself that same question every day since he came to Midgard. "Because I am a fuuuuuucken' failure," Loki slurred. "I am the monster of children's nightmares. I—I have no place among them; I deserve no place among them." His head fell low again as his eyes stared blankly at the bracelet. The look in his eyes was how he felt—blank.

"What about your wife, Sigyn?"

"With _them_," he answered in a hollow voice. "Where she belongs." Loki dropped the material from his hand so he could force himself to stand. He was oblivious to the weapons as they followed him. The god swayed back and forth, looking as if he would go crashing back down to the ground again. "She is nothing but a child. She behaves like one too. She's so sweet and innocent, and loyal." He smiled at the fondness of her slight hand on his shoulder. Loki grinned silly, staring passed Darcy at someone who wasn't there, but who he wanted to be there. His eyes softened as if he were staring at his wife. "She's so small, so delicate that anything could break her…." His voice trailed as his throat began to close. He looked to Darcy. "I might've broken her."

Loki turned, quite gracefully to all of their surprises, to face Jane. That blank feeling was no more. The fury Darcy had seen in his eyes surfaced suddenly and without warning. "And—aaaand you, Jane F—f—f—foster," he spat hatefully. He narrowed his eyes on Jane. So much of what she had done to _his_ brother had wrecked havoc on him. Oh, had it not been for li'l Jane, Thor wouldn't have objected to his plans. "You destroyed the only thing I had left of her on this damn world! I should have come for Midgard first then Jotunheim!" He didn't grin. Oh no, Loki scowled at her. "I'll begin with you, mi'lady. After all, if it weren't for you, I would still be in Asgard." Loki raised his hand, but whatever act of magic or physical force he was going to do was stopped with short, bright flash of light to the chest. The world disappeared from him before he even crashed through the wall.


	12. Chapter 12

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** Happy Fourth of July! God Bless America! :D

I have to say, this is perhaps one of my favorite chapters. I hope it is yours too!

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><p><em>True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes.<br>_

**Chapter Twelve: Hangovers and Mortals**

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><p>Despite what most Asgardians thought, Loki had never been above sharing a drink with his brother, the warriors three, and Lady Sif. Oh no, Loki may have been prudish, snobbish, and overly sophisticated, but he had never been above denying a drink. All too much, where Thor was, Loki was soon to follow. It had always been the nature of their relationship—where one went, the other followed. More times than he could count—though more likely cared to count—Loki had ingested too much alcohol. Alcohol combined with his mischievous behavior and mastery of sorcery had led to a great time at someone's expense. Once more, Thor, when extremely drunken, would aid his brother in his pranks. Even when they failed, which was often the case, they would laugh anyway.<p>

But of course, alcohol would wear off, for better or worse. Today was definitely a worse. Even with his eyes closed, the light inside the room was too bright. As he moaned, his upper lip sluggishly turned into a tired snarled. He heard and felt the hard pulse on either side of his head each time his heart pushed blood to his hazy mind. Loki felt as if someone was still punching him in the head. He hated the sound of his groggy moans because they too were much too loud for his delicate ears. Loki swore his ears had to be bleeding from the intense volume of every single sound his body produced. Still, he rolled his head to right as he had down many mornings.

Where she should have been, she wasn't. The feeling—well, to be specific, the lack of feeling—of her not beside him was something Loki still had not gotten used to; he assumed he never would get used to her not resting peacefully by his side. A few years without her could not erase the centuries of her, cuddling and curling up beside him in bed. It was these small moments, the ones he had taken for granted many times over, and that Loki missed the most. He didn't even attempt to roll onto his side so that he could wrap his arms around nothing but a pillow. But when—if he ever did get the opportunity to wrap his arms around Sigyn, Loki would never let go. He was sure of it.

Still, he found himself compelled to roll over to his side.

_Click! _

Loki painfully jerked his hand again, but a rough cloth material around his wrist suddenly halted his hand. Dreading opening his eyes but finding he had no choice, he peeled them open. Above him was an off-white, beige tinted ceiling made out of that cheap, Styrofoam substance. The other walls were white with no extras on them. He moaned as he lifted his head. He annoyingly eyed the black restraints on either of his wrists. Loki didn't have to know that the mortals had more than likely placed them on his ankles as well. _Damn humans_… Loki, he pursed his lips as he did when he discovered something truly distasteful. The cause of this purse came from the discovery the humans had stripped him of his armor—how baffled him—and had dared place him in a single garment that not even a troll, whom are blind, would wear.

Loki rolled his head the other direction and casted his annoyed glare to the tiny ebon' camera lurking in the corner like a bad shadow. Well, he knew at some point SHIELD would have caught up to him. No one needed to tell the Asgardian that he was within their grasps; however, he had not counted on not knowing how he had gotten here. No, he remembered nothing aside from being in his tiny human abode one moment with a bottle of wine and then spinning off on his metal steed the next. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out how he gotten here, but alas, his mind drew a blank.

At any rate, being restrained to a bed was not only annoying but boring. As if they had a direct line that told them of Loki's distress, Jane and her entourage of Darcy, Tony, Erik, and Agent Coulson appeared through the white door. Jane, Coulson, and Tony were all respectfully dressed for their occupations; Darcy was, of course, casual like Erik. He never understood why Darcy or Erik had adopted a more professional look, but it may have stemmed from ignorance.

"Wow," Tony remarked in his usual, I'm-better-than-you tone. "I wouldn't have thought you could be any paler than last night, but I guess I'm wrong." It took every ounce of restraint to let the comment slide. Either Tony had never had a hangover—which Loki highly doubted considering Stark had a compulsive nature like himself—or was being a smartass as usual. Yes, it had to be the second.

"Glad to see you're awake, Loki. I'm Agent Coulson," he introduced. The SHIELD agent approached Loki to the side of his bed. Loki's eyes watched as they all circled around him like a pack of wolves. He felt his body tense. It wasn't out of fear they could harm him, but out of the habit that when his friends had surrounded him in the past, it was usually for something malicious. "I realize this may not be the most pleasant accommodations for you, but I'm sure you understand after your little display a few night back."

He blinked slowly, hating how loud their voices were. He swore they were as loud as Thor. No, they were _louder_ than Thor. "Actually no," Loki replied in a rather controlled tone. There was no missing the annoyance in his voice or the lack of bite in his words. "I have no memory of my actions, Agent Coulson. Would you care to enlighten me how I became imprisoned?"

"Well, he did have the shit knocked out of him," Darcy remarked. She looked to Tony, then Jane. "Plus, taking a whole prescription of my pills and being nineteen times over the legal drinking limit would impair your short-term memory too." She seemed a bit too cheeky for Loki, but again, anything Darcy did burrowed underneath his skin because of her voice. He visibly winced at her nasally voice. She must have noticed because she asked, "What?"

"Would you object to having one of your comrades speaking for you?" he asked. Loki poorly disguised the annoyance and personal dislike of Darcy in his voice. "The fewer people who speak are most desirable right now considering my mind's current condition."

"Sorry, princess," Tony sneered. "You're not in your palace, and we're not your servants. We don't have to follow you."

Had Loki' not been suffering from the after effects of alcohol, he might have looked mean, even dangerous with his nose scrunched up, eyes narrowed, and mouth pulled back into a snarl. But no, he looked rather helpless in the bed. Not to mention, he looked more like he had the flu than a hangover. "You're right," Loki chided. "You're mortals. Your race is undeserving to even gaze upon Asgard's beauty. We don't need flies like you spoiling our food with your maggots."

"Tony, stop it," Coulson remarked.

"Okay, mother," he said sarcastically. Loki didn't laugh aloud, but Tony could see the trickster's eyes laughing at him. Like a little kid, he stuck his tongue out at Loki.

"Tony, let's go out," Erik suggested. He looked wearily to Loki, then towards Darcy. "You, too." The heavy set, older man opened the door. Tony, almost as reluctant as Darcy, left the room. Darcy, she glanced towards Loki. Of all of them, she was the only one who felt a bit of sympathy for him. Well, as much sympathy as she could feel for a creeper than lurked in the shadows to watch them work. "Darcy?" Erik called. With her name called, she too followed Tony out the door with Erik pulling up the rear.

Both Jane and Coulson waited until they heard the door click shut. "Tony is a bit of a smart ass," Coulson explained; though by Loki's look, the god already knew about Ironman operated. "To answer your question, you are here because Mr. Stark found you on the floor in one of Miss Foster's labs. You were acting irrational from the combination of alcohol and drugs. From your lack of common sense, you threatened Miss Foster. Mr. Stark then acted in a—" He paused for a second as he realized he was giving a compliment to a man he never thought he would grace with. "A reasonable fashion and disarmed. We have kept you here while you recovered."

"So," Jane picked up from where Coulson had left off. "Would you mind explaining a few things? Some of what you said has peaked my interests."

"That depends," Loki negotiated. "What will I receive in return?"

"You'll get nothing," Coulson made clear.

Loki strained against his restraints. "Then you will receive no answers from me," he retorted. He noticed, briefly mind you, Jane glance insecurely towards Coulson. Though he felt like crap, the fact he had found a weakness brought his signature smirk to his face. "I'll give you all the answers you want, Jane Foster." She turned her head towards, clearly not believing what he was saying. "But I will have two requests. You may keep my armor, but I wish to have a bracelet returned to me. Secondly, I require my freedom restored. I will not be bound by pitiful chains such as these. Then every question about Asgard will be answered."

"We can't do that," Coulson answered.

"For me, you will bend your precious, government rules," Loki spoke in an authoritarian voice.

"We really can't, Loki," Jane said before Coulson could say another word. "We could only fulfill your second request. The first is impossible." For once, Loki didn't respond quickly back. Jane took this as his way of insisting she explain further. With a deep breath she continued. "The bracelet you speak of was destroyed. What pieces remain are frayed and fragile." Watching him, she saw his heart plummet. His face, which had been green, became ghostly white. "It wasn't something intentional…" Loki's eyes shot to her with conviction. "I take it that the bracelet was important?"

He was silent for a few seconds, still searching for the words that would adequately portray the boiling anger in the pit of his stomach, the hole from where the blood in his heart leaked, and the absent feeling that lingered over every action he took. "That bracelet held centuries worth of memories inside of it," Loki spoke through a rather calm voice. Beneath the calm was the storm brewing. Both Jane and Coulson noticed it, but this time, Jane did not flick her eyes towards the agent. If anything, what he said only perked her interests.

"Where did it come from?" she inquired.

"Does this mean you are accepting my proposition?" Loki asked hastily.

"Yes," Jane replied. She looked to Coulson, who was looking at her as if she were crazy. The two held their gaze before Coulson shook his head and turned away. Not a word had been said but an entire conversation had unfolded in a few seconds. Jane smiled gratefully towards Coulson as he made his way out the door. Somehow Coulson had come to trust her in a way he would never trust Tony; it most likely came out of fear that if he didn't listen to Jane, Thor would come for his head. She turned her eyes back to the bed … the empty bed. Leaning against the wall, Loki looked at her, while she looked at him with deer-like eyes. "How? Wh—Why?"

"I am a master of sorcery, Jane Foster," Loki answered boredly. "Escaping from a few chains such is something I learned when I was a child." He folded his arms across his chest as he stared down at her like she was nothing but a fly to him. Well, she was nothing but a fly to him in terms of time. So it should not have come as any surprise to Jane that he would have learned how to escape from simple hospital restraints since he had so much time at his disposal. "Now, if you excuse me, I will be going. I'm not fond of these clothes."

"Hey!" Jane shouted, but it was a few seconds too late.

The trickster was gone.

Now how was she going to explain this to Coulson?

Well, luckily she had been able to escape Coulson and his usual gang of guards. Erik, to her gratitude, was keeping Tony and Darcy entertained; she yearned to know what he had come up with to entertain them for the entire day. In a way, it was odd not to have someone following her, and odder yet to be directly avoiding them but yet felt so good to not have someone shadowing her every nanosecond. Avoiding them, while tough considering the small building SHIELD occupied in this tiny town, was rewarding. For once she could think to herself.

It was refreshing.

Sitting on the same old, ragged lawn chase as Thor did a little over three years ago. It might as well have been a lifetime ago. Well, her heart felt like Thor was from a different lifetime or possibly a dream. Every day he seemed to become a little bit less of her reality and more of her fantasy. Reclined on chair, eyes staring at the sky, she wondered which star out of all the billions upon billions of stars in the universe belonged to Asgard. Was it even in her sight?

Did Thor even think about her anymore? Jane was only human after all. She didn't wield a sword and shield, spun magical spells, or ate her way through a box of poptarts and then some. No, she was a stout worshipper of physics and late night coffee underneath a starry sky like this.

And he … he was a god and a prince all wrapped into one. She did not doubt that Thor could have any woman he wanted just out of his heritage. The old mythology myths said Thor was husband to Sif. He could have been for all she knew. He had never said he wasn't husband to her. From what she had read, it was not uncommon for Aesir to have several wives and mistresses. Was she nothing more than just a fleeting mistress waiting to happen but would never happen?

She heard the sound of the rocks atop the roof crunching underneath someone's feet. Jane turned her head. To her honest surprise, she was shocked to witness Loki take the lawn chase next to her. Just as he had said earlier, he had changed out of the hospital wear for something more eye-pleasing. The god of mischief was in a pair of darker jeans and a white dress shirt with a black suit jacket over it. She half expected him to be in a tie as well, but he wasn't. No, instead he left his collar slightly undone where something gold sparkled.

Loki must have caught her staring for what he said next. "It is a key," he explained. He lifted the trinket off his chest so Jane could gaze better at it. The trinket was fairly large, two inches long. The blade of the key was fairly simple to offset the bow. The bow was circular in shape and outlined in black diamonds. The inside contained Celtic knots that interweaved each other in an endless loop. "In the Vanir culture, to wear a key is to symbolize a woman's importance and authority in a man's life. The fancier the key, the more value you place in a woman." He let the key fall back on his chest as he returned his gaze to the sky. Unlike Jane who did not know where to look, he focused on a small, nearly invisible spec in the sky, Asgard. Quietly he hoped that perhaps Sigyn was there in Asgard, next to Heimdall, watching him watching her.

Jane followed his gaze, staring in the same direction as he did; however, she wasn't able to pick out the star he so clearly and determinedly stared at. "I never would have guessed you to be an advocate for feminism," Jane commented. "From what Thor has told me, Asgard is stuck in the Victorian era of women's rights." But in the end, Jane smiled because Thor had manners like that era. Her cheeks burned as she recalled how he had kissed her hand goodbye.

His ears were on the edge of bleeding from hearing Thor's name spoken. He sighed. Loki supposed it would take centuries to escape his brother's shadow. "Do not twist me words, Jane Foster," Loki reprehended. "I am not an advocate for feminism. Women should not have to become soldiers, leaders, or hunters. They should be at home where they are safe and sound; however, I advocate for women performing a man's task should the man be inept. In a perfect society, women would never have to do so, but no society is perfect."

Jane stifled a chuckle. "Just when I thought you may have a redeeming quality," she spoke. "So… Does Thor wear a key? I never recalled seeing one on his person."

Loki shook his head. "No," he replied blankly.

"Then why do you where one?" When no response came, Jane turned her head. Loki's eyes were sunken than she had first noticed; there was a bit of redness to them from recent crying. Her heart felt heavy for him out of what piece of her heart wasn't angry at him for trying to kill Thor. If Loki was anything like Thor, Jane could all too easily list off all the problems he had with adjusting from a prince and god to a lowly human—er at least blending in as one.

"Sigyn is not an Aesir," Loki explained. "Well, not full Aesir—she's a half-breed, a mix of Vanir and Aesir. She was abandoned at a young age because of her heritage. Frey happened to find her and brought her to Njord. Consequently, she grew up Vanir." Strangely, he found talking about his wife with someone rather comforting. He briefly turned his eyes to Jane to see if she was listening, and she was. "Well, one day when I was visiting Sigyn, I went with she and her father to the market. Sigyn, she was still young, only ten years. She was busy off searching for a certain material so she could finish a gift for Heimdall. Sigyn thought he was lonely guarding the bifrost by himself, so she wanted to fashion him a plush wolf to be his friend—she was always thoughtful like that, Jane Foster." There was a warm tone to his voice and a fond smile on his face.

"Well," Loki continued. "I stayed with her father. We conversed over business for some time before we began to talk about Sigyn." He looked at Jane again as he began to go into further detail. "Our conversations always turned to Sigyn after I first met her. On that day, he brought it up. He commented that I had yet to bring her a gift—I always brought Sigyn a gift when I came to see her. Indeed, I hadn't that day, particularly because I was out of ideas of what to bring her." He chuckled lightly. To Loki's surprise, Jane also chuckled. He licked his lips before continuing. "Njord suggested that I bring her a different kind of gift. Curious, I followed him to their local blacksmith. Njord disappeared into the muddy building and returned several minutes later. He took my hand and placed a brass ring and chain in it. The chain was thin and long, so as to easily be hidden beneath my clothes.

"I was greatly confused by it and rather shocked that Njord would want me to give his daughter a brass ring on a chain. I could have thought of a thousand different items to give her that would have been better. Njord, being the wise man he is, told me to wear it so that Sigyn could see it.

"I did as I was told, but again, I asked why. He has this smile, Jane Foster, that he only uses when he knows better than you. He rhetorically said I loved his daughter, which I did. She stole my heart with her first shy glance a few years back. Njord and I had discussed many times over when I could marry her. Mostly, those conversations revolved around him telling me to wait because she was still a child. When the time was right, he would allow me to marry her." Loki took a deep breath, shaking his head at his impatience. He remembered those days so well when he used to beg All Father about any business to be conducted in Vanir, making social calls there for the silliest of things, and finishing his dinner quickly so that he could spend the afternoon with Sigyn before returning to Asgard for supper. Such simple, pleasant days those had been. "Well, he told me on the way back to finding Sigyn, that by wearing this necklace, I was honoring her heritage and company.

"As I did not wear my typical key when I came here, I found myself compelled to find another. To my luck, I found this one." He twisted it in between his thumb and index finger. "This is my way of continuing to pay tribute to my wife."

Jane laughed as he finished his story. Loki was the one who looked curiously at her. "Here I thought you were a big jerk," she spoke. "But—" For once, she seemed to smile warmly towards him. "You speak so fondly of her. That's not something I would have expected out of you, Loki," she admitted frankly. "Being the god of mischief, I can only imagine you doing something to harm her."

He snorted at her remark. His stomach rolled over on itself not once, not twice, but three times. Loki felt the rocks in his stomach tumbling. Mortals were truly ignorant... "Harm her?" Loki exclaimed, sounding insulted to the worst degree. "I would _never_ harm _my_ Sigyn. Firstly, and most importantly, I _cannot_ harm her. If I ever dared to lay a foul hand upon her, my marriage to her would be annulled."

She titled to her head to the side. Her loose hair fell with it. "Why would your marriage be annulled?"

"Sigyn was Njord's favorite child, even though she was not related to him by blood," Loki answered patiently. "He was very protective of her because of what she had been through as a child." He turned his head away from Sigyn to stare out at the endless desert. He felt his heart beat sluggishly as the feeling of a small Sigyn, crying into his chest came rushing back to him. Loki could feel her ghost fingers gripping his sleeves, and the cloth material rubbing against his pale flesh. "When Frey found Sigyn, she was but a child. I mean, no older than six years at most. She was near death and brutally abused. The only reason Frey was able to get close to her was because she had no more strength to run." There was a strain his voice, a deep, seething hatred for those who had wronged his wife so. Jane had heard Loki threaten her twice, but never had she heard the kind of strong, instinctual protectiveness and hatred in his voice as she did now. He curled his fingers into tight fists until his knuckles lost all color.

Jane was dumbfounded. She had always heard stories of children abused, but they were just that, stories. She had never met anyone abused or known anyone who lived with someone abused. That seemed like a fact Thor should have included when describing his family, particularly his sister-in-law. But, as Jane thought back to it, Thor hadn't said much about Sigyn, other than she was married to Loki. Surely Thor had to know Sigyn was abused... All she could think to say came out as a mutter. "That's awful." She knew her words most likely only scratched the surface. "How could anyone do that?"

"Because she is a _half-breed_," Loki growled. "Among the Aesir, bloodlines are _everything_. So to treat something as she as an animal is not uncommon. Her case is an extreme in the fact her parents abandoned her but only after years of abuse." He sat in a hunched position, glaring at the floor. His brows were touching each other, a sign of deep thought. Of course, Odin was no exception to the rule. Loki's body began to shake with pent up fury. He could only imagine how much control it had taken Odin to fake those hugs and smiles towards him. How much energy and time had he invested into a love that never existed?

Jane felt lost, unsure of what to do. "Did she ever recover from it?" Maybe Thor did not say much about Sigyn because she never recovered from it? Somehow, it wouldn't shock Jane if she didn't. If she didn't, that would be a good reason for Thor not mentioning more about Sigyn's personality.

"No," Loki answered bluntly. "Not fully. She's—" He let out a hot, steamy breath, but it did little to relieve the pressure building inside of him. "Sigyn still have scars on her wrists from her time with her parents. She's absolutely terrified of open spaces or of too many people. She is extremely shy and elusive. It took her years to adjust eating supper with my family in Asgard with the Warriors Three and Sif. She's very submissive in public... My family does not know much about her because of her shyness." He felt the compulsion to fumbled the key in between his fingers. "But she's a totally different person one-on-one, Jane Foster. She is very sweet, loyal, and innocent like a child. In many, _many_ ways she still is a child but a very wise one. She has this deep understanding that is beyond me. Somehow, just like a child, she can see passed all the lies and find the truth. Sigyn, she is—" Loki searched for the human word to describe what she was to him. It took him a moment to scroll through his Midgard vocabulary to find the word. "An angel? I believe that is the word."

She nodded. "That sounds right." Loki smiled at her approval. Jane touched his cool hand and gently squeezed it. He looked down at her hand before hesitatingly looking at Jane. There was no second motive in her eyes, no lies behind the squeeze, and no threat in the way she held his hand. He wouldn't say, but to have that touch of another's hand on his was something he missed dearly. "I'm sure she is fine, Loki. She's probably waiting for you to return to Asgard so that you can pick her up and kiss her." She felt her heart grow lighter at the thought.

Loki chuckled. "You want Thor to return to here so he can do the same thing?" Jane blushed but did not dismiss the idea. The god rolled his eyes as he rested against the chair once more to stare at the stars. "My brother is a _horrible_ kisser."

"How would you know?" Jane asked lightly.

"If you get drunk enough, _anything_ is fair game," Loki commented.

Jane too reclined in her chair. She crossed her arms over his abdomen. "I think you should stay away from alcohol," she insisted.

He laughed his first genuine laugh. "I come from Asgard, Jane Foster," he explained. "Drinking large amounts of alcohol is a requirement." Loki raised his hand to point at a distance star. "There is Asgard." Jane's eyes strained to see the dull star, but nonetheless, she could make out its limited light. "I will see you tomorrow some time to continue this conversation."

The chair creaked as Jane rolled onto her side. "Oh?" she inquired. "Where are you going?" But like before, he was gone from the chair. Somehow, it didn't surprise her, given the title bestowed upon Loki. Jane rolled her eyes. "Figures."


	13. Special Note

**_ Lead Me Back to Normalcy_**

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><p><strong>AN:** I am terribly sorry for not updating since July 4th. Preparing for college took up quite a bit of time. Now that I am in college, I find myself with little free time for writing. Well, I do have time, but I do not have the muse. Part of it because of school work and another part because this story is honestly going no where. Unlike my previous story, "There's A Million&One Ways," where I just let the plot form by itself, I see no plot developing in this story. And so, I am going to stop writing this story.

But, I will say, I had fun while writing this li'l short. The love I got from this story was awesome! To everyone who faved, commented-I really love my reviewers b/c I am biased-and placed this story under their alerts, thank you! I appreciated your support so much!

I am not going to leave you empty-handed. You see, I have become infatuated with a few stories here on FF; however, out of the four of 'em, one of 'em is a Thor fiction. I have been talking to Veguard via AOL because I like to stalk my favorite authors, heehee.

Creepy, yes.

Worth it?

Fuck yeah!

Anyway, please go check out the story! I love the plot she has introduced and her characterization!

Plus, its a Loki/Sigyn fiction? We all love those two? Right?

Right!

I also drew a picture for this story that you can find b/c I love 'em too much for my own good.

I really love Loki and Sigyn in this version.

I'm obsessed with this story! I am sorry! Well, okay, I am not sorry.

So below I'll post my a little snippet-actually its an exclusive from the next chapter in italics-and post the summary.

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><p><strong>We're Running Up Hill<strong>

fanfiction . net /s/7276142/1/Were_Running_Up_Hill

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><p><em>Muninn hopped off the gutter and plopped onto the gravel. <em>

_Huginn hid behind his wings. "Balder," Muninn creaked. "He_

_ is King of Asgard. Odin sleeps; his wounds deep. Sigyn, she _

_too is wounded. Loki, trickster but not evil, knows who he is; _

_he is simply Loki. No more son of Odin."_

**Summary:** The events following his chosen exile from Asgard, Loki has become self-assured and aware himself. His playful mischief is beginning to change as he too grows even more comfortable with the idea that he no longer needs a mask to hide his true, malicious self from curious eyes. Though he toys with his the Midgardians, they are but warnings to Odin that he shall _never_ achieve the peace among the realms he foresaw so long ago as long as Loki lives. But to meddle with Odin, Allfather, God of Deceit and Wisdom, and Father of Slaying, will yield its own deadly consequences, opening the realms to war and deadly alliances founded on both truths and lies.

**Rating:** R for violence, naughty language, and adult content. _(That includes both consented and un-consented sex, but this is not a smut story!)_

**Warning:** _Not_ a happy go-lucky redemption story. This is actually _not_ a redemption story. Expect character deaths to occur. _(And they do!)_

**Main Characters: **Loki Odinson, Thor Odinson, Odin, Sigyn Njordson, Byleistr Laufeyson, Fárbauti (Laufey's Wife), Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Erik Selvig, and Om the Kitten. _(I want more Om in the story!)_

**Special Appearances:** The Avengers and their favorite government babysitters.

**Pairings:** Loki/Sigyn, Thor/Jane, Thor/Sif (one-sided?), Fárbauti/Laufey, Odin/Frigga, Fandral/Darcy (maybe?), Byleistr/Sigyn, and Stark/All Females. (_I think the last pairing is awesome!)_

**Setting:** Post-Thor and Post-Captain America _(Basically Avengers!)_


	14. Special Note again

**Lead Me Back to Normalcy**

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><p><strong>AN:** Another special note!

So yeah. IDK, why people are still putting this story under their alerts, but its pretty awesome! xD You make me wanna push through and actually come up with a plot for this story.

Anyway … I do have a new story started called _To Swallow the Sun&Moon Whole_. It is a collaboration between Vegaurd (author of _Running Up Hill_) and I, utilizing her plot and my twists. Of course, the combined knowledge between us!

For those who enjoyed this story, you will enjoy _To Swallow the Sun&Moon Whole_. Its gonna be much more epic than _Lead Me Back to Normalcy_. We will be updating the story tonight! And if we get enough reviews, we may update Sunday and Monday.

So if you are interested, you can find the story on my profile or just follow the link below!

Fanfiction . net /s/7324289/1/To_Swallow_the_SunMoon_Whole

Thank you and have a wonderful day! Love ya all!


	15. THIS STORY IS BAAAAAAAAACK!

**Lead Me Back to Normalcy**

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><p><strong>AN:** YOU'RE ALL SO SICK OF THESE SPECIAL NOTES! YES?

Well, I have good news! I actually stumbled upon a plot for this story! Which actually comes in handy since Veguard just had a schedule changed and won't be able to collaborate on our story until next semester. :C

But back to _Lead Me Back to Normalcy_, I have been going through and redesigning the whole story and characters. I am going to account for the Avengers and present them in the story, including how they formed, but much like this story, it will be Loki/Sigyn centric with a whole bunch more Norse and comic information included! Really, Sigyn's character, along with Thor's and Loki's needed to be redesigned because they were so OOC. Sigyn was all over the place and had no central character, Thor was just too plain, and Loki, well, he's the god of mischief, NOT angst. Loki is, as the Black Widow said on D23, "rotten to the core." There is also going to be another huge change in the fact that instead of having small chapters weekly, I am going to do what I did with _There's a Million&One Ways_ and make the chapters 10,000 words+.

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><p>So in summary, changes to be made are<p>

1. There is now a plot!

2. Characters will no longer be OOC; more depth added to them.

3. Sigyn will no longer be miss Mary Sue; nor Thor Mr. Gary Sue.

4. Much more intense drama.

I aim for this story to be more addicting than Jersey Shore. xDDDD

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><p>Keep a look out for the revised story! It will be called <strong>"Tearing God Asunder&amp;Then Some"<strong>


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